Thunder rookie Alex Abrines has the back Of Domantas Sabonis

Feb 28, 2017; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Utah Jazz guard Rodney Hood (5) drives to the basket in front of Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Abrines (8) during the fourth quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

Alex Abrines has come on strong since the All-Star break. This is helping fellow rookie Domantas Sabonis who has struggled as of late.

Domantas Sabonis

At the start of the year, Domantas Sabonis was thrust into an unfamiliar role for the OKC Thunder. Not only was he tasked to the starting lineup, but it would be primarily as a stretch four. This was a role he had never played before. Although Sabonis played the four in college he did so chiefly as a successful low post presence.

Out of the gate Coach Billy Donovan asked him to shoot the three for the Thunder. To put this request in perspective, he had three made shots from deep in his entire college career. Such is the attitude of the man that he gave it a red hot go. Sabonis became a big part of why the Thunder succeeded at the start of the season. He helped stretch the floor for Russell Westbrook to go to work.

In his fifth game, Sabonis scored 13 points and had six rebounds. Scarily, this was against the Golden State Warriors. That says a bit about the character of the man. He even had a double-double against Miami in his ninth game.

The rookie has registered ten double digit point games and two double-doubles in his rookie year, including a 20 point game against Boston just before Christmas.

The Fall Off

The problem is that Sabonis has made just four of his 28 attempted 3-point shots in January. That’s good for 14%. In February, his efficiency from the perimeter dropped to 6 percent when he connected on a single three out of 17 attempts.

Unfortunately, these two months produced a shocking road schedule for the Thunder. It is not necessarily surprising for a rookie starter to struggle during this time frame as they inevitably attempt to climb that rookie wall). This is not a knock on Sabonis. He has been super energetic and plays incredibly hard.

The rookie is a cornerstone for the future for the Thunder; he will get better with added muscle and age. Sabonis has continued to start and does the job to the best of his ability. Furthermore, the benefit of this experience simply can’t be produced on the practice court.

Alex Abrines

Alex Abrines journey has been a little different to that of Sabonis. Abrines is a rookie who spent the last few years in Spain developing his game. He is a true shooter who was battling for time against Anthony Morrow, another spot-up shooter.

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Both Morrow and Abrines got playing time until the All-Star break with mixed results. Morrow had a couple of good games but his shooting percentage on the season was below 30% from outside.

The Step Up

Abrines did struggle a little early on, but that is expected for a rookie. As he has gotten used to the NBA rhythm and the fact that Westbrook will find him anywhere, he is starting to shine.

In January, Abrines hit 15, three point attempts out of 34 attempts for a 44 percent efficiency.

He replicated that efficiency mark in February, shooting 16 of 36 from deep. The other benefit for the Thunder is Abrines has been able to step up and start in place of the injured Victor Oladipo. I mean, did you see his most recent game against the Utah Jazz (3-of-3), he could not miss from three all night.

What This All Means

So, what does this mean for Sabonis and the OKC Thunder? It means Sabonis is able to continue starting, despite the presence of Taj Gibson. Why is this important? Sabonis has a confidence level which would not be what I would call particularly high right now.

He has the full support of his team leader in Russell Westbrook. He also appears to have the full support of the coach.

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The thing is, if Abrines had not started knocking down threes the way that he is, Sabonis may have become a liability in the starting unit. Moreover, he may have been benched as the Thunder are still trying to win.

Thanks to Abrines, Donovan is still able to start Sabonis who can work through his on court issues in the best place. On the basketball court. If he was benched then Donovan would have to work on the on court issues in addition to helping him rediscover his confidence.

The Second Unit

This also allows the second unit to perform at a higher level. Gibson can look after Enes Kanter on defense, meaning that the bench unit can keep the game moving for the OKC Thunder. This in turn allows for greater rest periods for the starters if they need them.

The Thunder rookies have done a great job this year. Sabonis started out so well, but he has passed the baton along to Abrines who took it like a relay runner and is now helping power the team to the line.

I am super excited for the future of the Thunder. I am also excited for the now. There is so much to like about the Thunder and these two rookies have shown how good the team spirit truly is.

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