Five takeaways from the Thunder’s buzzer-beating loss to Timberwolves
By Tony Heim
Josh Huestis is taking playing time with force
Who would have guessed that the competition between Jerami Grant and Josh Huestis would be so intriguing? More so that both are fighting for Patrick Patterson’s time?
Patterson is still recovering from an offseason knee injury, hence why he is slowly being worked back into the rotation. Even when he’s fully recovered, however, it’s going to be difficult to take minutes away from Grant and Huestis. Especially Huestis.
The Thunder drafted Huestis three years ago, yet have never given him any sort of consistent playing time. He’s appeared in all three games this season but he’s only played over three minutes once. That was last night.
We saw more Huestis and Grant together than ever before as Donovan tried to combat Minnesota’s size down-low. While Grant had a solid offensive performance, Huestis showcased his fine-tuned defensive game with 2 blocks and 4 rebounds in only 14 minutes. All three of the Thunder’s bench bigs can space the floor – what separates Huestis and Grant is their ability to protect the rim.
Patterson’s six minutes last night was his lowest of the season. While he may be a better overall player, his talents fit more playing next to Steven Adams than with a non-traditional center. Don’t be surprised if Grant and Huestis accrue more minutes than Patterson this season. Once the playoffs hit, however, that rotation will likely change.