Season Opening Roster Surprises

Final 15 man roster have been set with the start of the regular season…with 447 of 450 spots filled. The surprises and names listed below are unlikely to finish out the year with their respective franchises (due to most having un-guaranteed salaries), but it is still fun to mention the surprises:

Shayne Whittington, Indiana: A late blooming C out of Western Michigan, Whittington was able to use his sheer size and the Pacers need of a 3rd big to gain the last roster spot. The importance of a big body at the end of the bench who can give up 6 fouls if needed is still a staple in the NBA.

Lance Thomas, OKC: The Duke alum can thank Durant for getting hurt…..necessitating OKC to hold on to an extra 3-4 hybrid. Being well coached in college actually pays off fellas. For depth chart purposes he will be backing up PJ3 for the time being but is unlikely to see any consistent minutes….even with all of the Thunder injuries.

Travis Wear, NYK: This one came out of nowhere. The Knicks preferred this twin’s basketball IQ to veteran Travis Outlaw. The triangle needs a certain level of basketball intelligence to run smoothly and Wear, while unspectacular even in college, tends to make the right play with the ball. The Knicks version of Ryan Kelly.

The Majority of the Sixers Roster, PHI: This roster is an abomination. Sam Hinkie has taken tanking to an embarrassing new low. You can count on one hand how many healthy players actually deserve to be in the NBA here. Noel, McDaniels, and Shved and Wroten count as ½ each….so three. That’s it. (MCW doesn’t count because he is injured….and knowing Hinkie he will probably hold him out for the year. Richardson the vet will never suit up for this team again either). Mbah-Moute is a glorified role player. I agree with Larry Brown’s assessment that there is no building or teaching going on here.

Tony Mitchell, DET: I was convinced the last spot was going to go to Aaron Gray, who has heart problems. Mitchell is pure athlete who has not progressed at all and doesn’t fit the style of player SVG likes. What a shame.

Honorable mention:

Justin Holiday, GSW: He had the look of someone who would always be on the outskirts and never apart of an opening day NBA roster.

Eric Moreland, SAC: Can’t teach size. He can score a little plus walk and chew gum at the same time. That’s worthy of a 15th slot.

Alonzo Gee, DEN: A late signee who bounced around in trades and waives this offseason. From a talent perspective this is not a surprise….just surprised he pushed Quincy Miller out the door. Denver is deep….they need to trade some of the depth and try to get a superstar caliber player.

Former top recruits like Mullens, Beasley and Blatche must be shaking their heads wondering what went wrong. There may be more money for them in China, but nothing beats the prestige of the NBA.