Looking at OKC’s SG rotation
Who will fill in for Andre Roberson as he continues to recover from last season’s knee injury?
As the Thunder waits patiently on the rehabilitation of Russell Westbrook and Andre Roberson, the question turns to who fills their minutes.
At least one of those questions has been answered in the starting lineup with Dennis Schroder at point guard. Patrick Patterson has positioned himself to be the starter at power forward, with Jerami Grant playing heavy minutes across the entire frontcourt.
But the shooting guard position remains a question. Even when Roberson was healthy, the Thunder found alternatives to close games as a remedy to some of his limitations on offense. Even though the distribution of minutes is more important than who starts, it still bears watching who will start at shooting guard when the Thunder opens preseason against the Pistons on Wednesday.
Who will start alongside Schroder, Patterson, Paul George and Steven Adams? Here’s a look at where the top candidates stand:
Alex Abrines
When Roberson suffered his season-ending knee injury last season on Jan. 27, something happened to Alex Abrines.
It didn’t show up in his numbers at all. Abrines’ defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions when in the game) was the exact same before and after Roberson’s injury (106.3). His playing time only went up a minute a game. But the eye test showed a different player defensively, culminating with his performance in the Thunder’s incredible Game 5 comeback against Utah in the playoffs.
“I feel like I have confidence in Alex based on what happened last year defensively that he’s more than capable of doing that,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said last week.
Abrines’ defense has always stood between him and more playing time. His body is the next biggest deterrent, and it could stunt the progress he’s made defensively.
Whether it’s a concussion or a hip contusion, nagging knee issues dating back to his days in Spain, or the back spasms which have kept him out of contact all but one day in preseason camp, Abrines’ body has failed him in his professional career. He played 75 games last season, but was never completely healthy, having to undergo hernia surgery after the season.
If not for his health, Abrines may be the starter in Roberson’s absence. He'd at least get the bulk of the minutes.
Terrance Ferguson/ Hamidou Diallo
With Abrines missing almost the entire first week of camp, Ferguson may have the inside track to start.
Ferguson started 15 games last season at shooting guard as a rookie, more than Abrines’ eight, and started the Blue and White Scrimmage on Sunday.
It shouldn’t go unnoticed that Diallo was the first substitution for Ferguson in the scrimmage. Diallo, like Ferguson, is 20 years old, and has brought rare athleticism to the position — first in summer league, now in camp.
“Again, it’s the first week. We’re going to look at a lot of different things,” Donovan said. “I put Diallo in with that first group. I wanted to see what he looked like playing alongside Paul with his athleticism.”
Ferguson has gotten stronger in the offseason, but was an even worse defender than Abrines last season. He shot 33.1 percent from 3, below league average but respectable for a low-usage rookie, but the Tulsa native still has to prove he’s made enough improvement on defense to play more than 12.4 minutes per game.
It’s why the shooting guard minutes will likely be platoon, with the Thunder giving Diallo every opportunity to carve out playing time. OKC could have sent Diallo, a second-round pick, to the G League for more seasoning, but didn’t hesitate in signing him to a guaranteed deal.
Timothe Luwawu Cabarrot/Abdel Nader
Luwawu-Cabarrot and Abdel Nader are both 6-foot-6, can play both guard and forward, and are both coming from Eastern Conference teams via trade. They have some years and strength on Ferguson and Diallo, and could benefit from playing more minutes alongside starting caliber players.
In his first season with the Celtics after a 2016-17 season with the G League Maine Red Claws, Nader was buried in a deep Boston lineup with players his age or younger with similar ability to play multiple positions. And while he said he feels better after offseason surgery on his right wrist, Nader missed Sunday’s scrimmage with knee soreness.
The wild card may be Luwawu-Cabarrot. His minutes declined last season as Philadelphia brought in J.J. Redick, and he missed the final 17 games of the regular season and all of the Sixers’ postseason run with knee tendinitis. But as a rookie in 2016-17, LuwawuCabarrot showed some promise, averaging 13 points per game in the final 17 games of the season.
Luwawu-Cabarrot struggled to start Sunday’s scrimmage, but found more shooting rhythm once he switched teams to the stacked White roster. Expanded minutes with the starters could benefit the 23-year-old, and injuries and inexperience around him could open up an opportunity for more minutes in preseason.