Five reasons why Thunder fans should NOT start panicking
By Tony Heim
3. Oklahoma City has three new rotation players
Think about this…30% of the Thunder’s rotation has played five games or less in an OKC jersey. Of the three new additions, both Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott have already played in crunch time. Although that is proof of both players talent and basketball IQ, we can’t expect them to have a seamless transition. This is especially important for the new backup point guard Norris Cole.
Cole is going to have to gain chemistry with every player on the Thunder roster in a very short amount of time. As the backup he could play with anybody at any time, even Westbrook. The veteran’s job is to facilitate offense for the other four players on the court, but that doesn’t happen overnight.
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In their first game Cole helped lead the second-unit to a +/- of +30 against a weak Portland bench. Although he took five shots in only 11 minutes, only one was a “bad shot.” He also had two assists. But against Phoenix, when the offense was struggling to create anything off-the-ball, Cole tried to take matters in his own hands. In ten minutes he took six shots, only making one. He had zero assists.
That’s not his game and Cole knows it, but his inexperience with the Thunder forced him to try creating on his own. The more he plays and practices with the team the better the fluidity of the offense will become. The same goes for McDermott and Gibson.
Gibson and Cole’s worth is tied to the playoffs. Both are signed through the rest of the season with no guarantees of returning. It’s not important how many points they score or how many rebounds/assists they records during these last 20 games. What’s important is that they become as comfortable as possible playing with new teammates.