Usually when a player leaves a team on not so happy terms, that player has a thing or 2 to say about his former organization. We’ve already seen it with Dion Waiters earlier this season and even Reggie Jackson as of recent but now, one of the newest members of the Oklahoma City Thunder is voicing his opinion.
Thunder big man Enes Kanter isn’t holding back about his old team, the Utah Jazz.
Following from Andy Larsen of ESPN’s True Hoop affiliate, Salt City Hoops.
Do you feel rejuvenated? Do you feel like you’re playing with more energy, more passion than in the past because of the new situation?
Well, like, I think the difference is probably that I really like playing basketball there. I think that’s the most important thing. I never liked playing basketball before in my NBA career. And this is the first time I’ve felt like playing basketball there, for my team, for the fans, for my teammates, for coaches, for everybody. That’s the first time.
Now that you’ve played in a situation you’re obviously very happy in, what didn’t you like about the situation here?
Well, I think, it wasn’t just a one game or two game frustration. It was a three and a half year frustration. I’m happy for both sides. I think it worked out well for both sides. I think I’m definitely happy that I’m part of the Oklahoma City team like that, a winner team, so I think it’ll go well for the future.
What was the biggest frustration over the last 3.5 years?
I will say, almost everything. And I didn’t bring it every night. But I think most everything was a frustration. But you know, I’m still happy for both sides. It worked out for both sides.
It has worked out for each side, and everybody was a winner in this. But were the frustrations off the court, on the court?
I think it wasn’t just basketball stuff. It was just professionalism. It was just, after I see OKC, I was like “this is how NBA teams are.” It was just, you know how like, you’re in a dream, and you have like a superpower, and you just don’t want to open your eyes, you just don’t want to end that dream? Oklahoma City’s been like that to me.
No, I still respect them. I still like my coaches here, I still have friends here, some friends here. Not a lot. But still, I’m just saying, I don’t wanna make no comments on them. But I think after I went to OKC, I was like “Oh man, this is how an NBA team is.”
What are those good things you’ve experienced in Oklahoma City that you like so much?
First of all, I mean, we have a leader like Russell. And I love my teammates, and the fans are amazing, I love the city, it’s a clean city. Everything there is just professional, you know, everything they do is just for the players. You just only focus on basketball and go out there and play and do your job. Like I said again, I don’t want to talk about it here again, because I have a lot of things to say, but I just don’t want to say it right now.
Do you miss anything about Utah?
Mountains. That’s it, I guess.
I personally can’t wait to see what more Kanter has to say. If that wasn’t all of it, when can we hear more?
He was obviously frustrated in Utah and who can blame him? He’s in the post playing second fiddle to Derrick Favors and he must have seen the team taking a liking to the ‘Stifle Tower’ Rudy Gobert and knew that the kid was going to have a huge impact on the team, primarily defensively. That same defense that Gobert excels on, Kanter doesn’t quite compare. So it would be a perfect pairing in Utah, the offensively skilled Favors and defensively dominant Gobert as the 2 big men in the middle for Utah except Kanter would then be relegated to the bench, splitting minutes with Trevor Booker.
It wasn’t ideal for Kanter who knows what he is worth but after the trade was finalized, it seems like a perfect scenario for both teams. The Thunder stole him from Utah for basically nothing and Kanter has said he would love to re-sign with the team. In his time with the Thunder, he’s averaging 17.6 points per game, 10.8 rebounds, shooting almost 57 percent from the field playing nearly 30 minutes a game. All those numbers happen to be career-highs for Kanter and he’s connecting very well with Russell Westbrook and his ‘bruise brother’ Steven Adams.
Utah gets away with having one of the youngest teams in the NBA, with not one player having more than 4 seasons of experience in the NBA and playing well since the trade happened. The Jazz are #1 in allowing the least amount of points to opponents and allowing the opponents to only shoot 41 percent from the field, which also leads the NBA.
It’s rare when a trade works out for both sides, even if the only attraction for the one team is their mountains.
