Enes Kanter doesn’t exactly have the best defensive reputation in the NBA. But he’s been playing so well as of late, it’s even a surprise to Kanter himself.
The Thunder big man racked up 8 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 blocks in Oklahoma City’s big Game 5 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. The block total was particularly out of the ordinary as Kanter admitted that even he was astonished to learn after the game that he had recorded that many (per Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman).
Enes Kanter: "After the game, I looked at the stat sheet and it said I had three blocked shots. I was pretty shocked."
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 11, 2016
Kanter, 23, has averaged just 0.4 blocks per game over his five-year career and is widely seen as one of the Association’s biggest defensive sieves. But playing more minutes alongside Steven Adams in the frontcourt has not only invigorated Kanter but has helped the Thunder take a relatively stunning 3-2 lead over the favored Spurs.
Has Kanter finally figured out how to play defense effectively after years as a punchline? Probably not. But if he can at least be league-average on that end, it could go a long way towards helping Oklahoma City completing the improbable second-round upset.
H/T NBA Reddit
