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Donovan’s Dishes: Thunder head coach speaks on late season run

By Noah Schulte

OAKLAND, CA - FEBRUARY 06: Head coach Billy Donovan of the Oklahoma City Thunder reacts to the play on the court during the second half of their NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors at ORACLE Arena on February 6, 2018 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - FEBRUARY 06: Head coach Billy Donovan of the Oklahoma City Thunder reacts to the play on the court during the second half of their NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors at ORACLE Arena on February 6, 2018 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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This week’s Donovan’s Dishes breaks down the most recent and insightful quotes from the head coach of the OKC Thunder.

Last week was a rough one for the OKC Thunder. Two backbreaking losses to the Boston Celtics and Portland Trail Blazers seems to have set Oklahoma City back. But if you listen to Billy Donovan’s comments, that isn’t how the team feels.

On their loss to the Celtics

After a hard fought battle against the Boston Celtics, which saw Boston role players like Terry Rozier and Marcus Morris play like stars, Billy Donovan had this to say about his team. “I actually thought we defended their stuff really well coming down the stretch. The initial actions I thought we guarded really well. You know, we made them make a play and to their credit, they made the plays that were necessary.” (via Fox Sports)

Donovan isn’t wrong. The Celtics deserve a lot of credit for rolling out what was essentially with their JV squad. They got a huge win on the backs of unlikely heroes Terry Rozier and Marcus Morris – Boston deserves their props.

The Thunder did all they could to stop the Celtics in the final minute. Unfortunately they were on the wrong end of some incredible plays. But given how well they defended in the final minutes, OKC should hold their heads high.

On Corey Brewer’s transition with the Thunder

When Corey Brewer signed with the OKC Thunder no one thought he would be such a productive player right off the bat. Oklahoma City is even 7-2 in their nine games since Brewer was moved into the starting rotation.

Here’s what Coach Donovan had to say about Brewer: “He knows his role inside of our team. He’s gotta pick his spots to try to find ways to be productive and effective. And he’s understood that from day one.”

While it’s unlikely they continue winning at such a high clip, Brewer’s contributions to the team cannot be understated. The team has been missing the kind of active defense Brewer provides since the loss of Andre Roberson. Though he may not fully fill the massive gap Roberson left, he is providing a much-needed service.

OKC Thunder shooting guard Andre Roberson
OKLAHOMA CITY – DECEMBER 27: Andre Roberson of the OKC Thunder stretches before the game against Toronto in Oklahoma City. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Offensively he’s been no slouch either. Brewer’s adjusted really well to his role and is giving the Thunder a nice spark. The former Florida Gator is averaging 11.7 points per game, 1.4 assists per game, and 2.8 rebounds per game, while hitting 38.2% of his threes and 46.1% of his field goal attempts for the Thunder, albeit in a small sample size.

On the Thunder beginning to hit their stride

Despite a rough start to the season, the Thunder are beginning to win more games, going 7-3 over their last 10. It’s their core of Russell Westbrook, Paul George and

Carmelo Anthony

Steven Adams that’s really starting to jell.

After a marquee win against the streaking Raptors, Donovan said, “I think we’re getting better, we’re improving. I think guys are feeling more and more comfortable with each other, understanding when we’re not playing well, trying to identify those moments and trying to get it corrected and start to play well.”

The Thunder are currently the 4th-seed in the Western Conference and are on the verge of clinching a playoff spot. Fueled by their core of Westbrook, George, and Anthony, the Thunder are finally beginning to live up to their preseason hype.

Given the fact that the Playoffs are a mere three weeks away, the OKC Thunder may be starting to peak at the right time. If they bring this momentum into the Playoffs they could make some real noise for the first time since Kevin Durant left.

On Andre Roberson’s rehab progress

As I’ve mentioned previously, since Roberson’s season-ending patella injury, the Thunder simply have been missing something defensively. In talking about Roberson’s rehab progression, Donovan said “He’s got a long, long way to go.” (via Erik Horne)

Next: Analyzing the stretch run to the Playoffs

While this news is certainly disheartening to Thunder fans, it’s not unexpected as injuries of this nature require significant time to recover from. If everything goes well, he should be back by opening night next season.

When he does come back (hopefully) at the start of next year, the team around him could be significantly different, with key players like Carmelo Anthony and Paul George up for free agency this summer.

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