Oklahoma City is home to the NBA’s top clutch defense by a wide margin, but why? Andre Roberson has a lot to do with it.
This season Russell Westbrook has gotten a lot of credit-and deservedly so-for leading the Thunder to victory at the end of close games. Oklahoma City’s 19-11 record in clutch* games is fifth best in the league; their 19 wins is tied for fourth most.
*For the purposes of this article we define clutch as a game within five points anytime in the last five minutes.
Basketball is played on two ends of the court. And as great as Westbrook has been in clutch situations this year, it’s OKC’s defense that is winning them close games.
The Thunder currently have the league’s best clutch defense and it’s not even close. When games get tight in the NBA, ball movement ceases and the best players shoot more. Thunder fans know how it is: Westbrook’s usage rating jumps from 41 to 60.6 in clutch situations.
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Oklahoma City’s defense has a similar spike, but this time the numbers shrink. The Thunder have a 105 defensive rating, but that number jumps down to 85.9 in the clutch. We’re at the All-Star Break so we can’t be lazy and say it is a statistical anomaly.
Luckily we don’t have to. Because the defense has their own version of Russell Westbrook, and he comes in the form of Andre Roberson.
Remember what I said earlier? When games get close, star players want the ball. But when those star players play the Thunder they are forced to go against Roberson, one of the best AND most underrated perimeter defenders in the league.
At 6’7 with a 6’11 wingspan Roberson is the perfect size to guard point guards through power forwards. He is justtttttt “small” enough to keep up with guards like Damian Lillard and justttttttt big enough to guard stretch fours like Harrison Barnes.
Even when Roberson isn’t guarding an opponent on ball he is still making an impact just by being on the court. For one he’s an elite off-ball defender.
The 25-year old is just so long players aren’t expecting him to be able to strip the ball loose. Teams will change their gameplan to try and force Roberson to switch off their star. Other times they just try to find offense elsewhere.
Now I’m not saying Andre Roberson is the only reason the Thunder have the best clutch defense in the league. Steven Adams, Victor Oladipo, Jerami Grant and even a more-focused Westbrook deserve some credit.
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But Roberson deserves his recognition as the impetus behind it all.
With Roberson, an above-average defender in Oladipo gets an easier assignment. That in turn gives Westbrook the opportunity to guard the weakest link on the perimeter. Think that plays a role in Russ’ dominance on the offensive end?
Good defense isn’t fun to talk about. It doesn’t show up on the scoreboard so the trade has become an afterthought. Andre Roberson deserves his props though. He may not have the offensive talent of Russell Westbrook. But Russ doesn’t have the defensive talent of Roberson.
And that’s why Andre Roberson is the lowkey MVP of the Oklahoma City Thunder.