The OKC Thunder are without superstar Paul George in Minnesota. Head Coach Billy Donovan will make a tweak by starting Deonte Burton.
Something has to give as the OKC Thunder have struggled recently. Going back to the final game prior to the break when the team lost to the hapless New Orleans Pelicans. Since then the Thunder have lost five of their six contests.
There are valid reasons we can point to as to the regression. First Paul George has missed the last three games and will not dress again tonight due to a strained shoulder or more specifically an issue with his rotator cuff. If we’re honest other than the game against the Jazz which took two overtime periods to decide George looked like he was injured for a while and his falling production amplified my instinct he was hurt.
Through three games Dennis Schroder slotted in for two starting appearances (Spurs/Grizzlies). Newest OKC Thunder member Markieff Morris got the nod versus the 76ers which likely had to do with the length of Philly.
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The issue with these selections is Keff is still learning the system and the team already has a solid power forward in Jerami Grant. As for Schroder he’s in one of his worst slumps of the season and having him play with the starters ends up creating issues for the Thunder reserves who need more playmaking and scoring.
Although it’s yet to be formally announced the website Lineups is stating Deonte Burton will get the nod tonight in Minnesota. This change makes a ton of sense because it adds length over Schroder and gives the starters the ability to stretch the court more with each of Terrance Ferguson, Burton and Grant capable of hitting from distance.
Still, the Thunder haven’t ruled out George completely as the takeaway from practice was PG would be a game time decision.
Billy Donovan says Paul George will be a game-time decision.
— Erik Horne (@ErikkHorne) March 5, 2019
If the switch does happen, the reason this is important is the Minnesota Timberwolves are the bottom ranked NBA team at defending the perimeter. Minnesota allows teams to shoot 37.3 percent from deep. That in itself is worth a shift in the rotation. Factor in Schroder is shooting 28.5 percent in the three games George has missed. Granted Burton is a minor shift upward having shot 33.3 percent from the perimeter in his 23 appearances with the varsity squad this season.
The other component of Burton’s game is his offensive potential to drive and add a more physical presence on the court. This moves Schroder back to the reserve unit where scoring and playmaking are at a premium.
And, with Markieff Morris still integrating into a new system it makes more sense to pair him with the German backup so he can develop chemistry with him now instead of getting used to one lineup only to have to adjust again when George returns.