THUNDER REPORT CARD
ISAIAH ROBY
Isaiah Roby had an interesting season. Through two thirds of the Thunder season, Roby had played in only 18 games and totaled just 247 minutes. Then his playing time picked up, and Roby produced.
Here is the Roby report card, continuing our series of the Thunder individual seasons:
3-point shooting: A
Roby made 33.3% of his deep shots as a Nebraska Cornhusker, so there was mild optimism that might translate to the NBA. Then Roby made just 29.4% for the Thunder last season. But Roby became quite the 3-point marksman this season, making 44.4%. From the corners, Roby made 48.1%. A big man who can shoot like that will intrigue NBA decision-makers.
Attitude: A
Roby played sparingly much of the season and even spent time in the G League, playing 10 games. That has to be discouraging for a guy who is in his third pro season and who has shown the ability to be productive. But Roby remained a pleasant personality, and when his time came late in the season, he made the most of it. The Thunder brass will be pulling for him.
Interior defense: D
Roby is undersized, at 6-foot-8, in post defense and not quick enough to last long on the perimeter. Effort is not the problem. But he’s a tweener. The Thunder had an effective defense through much of the season, when Roby was playing sparingly. When Roby became a lineup mainstay, the defense collapsed. It wasn’t all on Roby, but he was a major contributor.
Foul shooting: D
Big men tend to get fouled a lot, and Roby, a 6-foot-8 power forward who played some center, got fouled a reasonable amount of the time. His freethrow rate (foul shots per field-goal attempts) was .359, second on the team, trailing only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. But Roby made just 67.2% of his foul shots. That’s a paltry figure that makes you wonder if Roby’s shooting success was an aberration.
Paint prowess: B
Roby often produced in the paint. He made 69.9% of his shots from the restricted area (0-3 feet from the basket), which is better than Steven Adams’ career percentage from that distance. Roby was 10th on the team in minutes played but second in dunks, with 36 (trailing only Darius Bazley’s 77). Roby is a solid offensive player. He twice scored more than 25 points in a game, and neither time did he take more than 13 shots.