OKC Thunder should unleash the beast in Deonte Burton

Realistic expectations

Dennis Schröder, serving as a solid sixth man off the bench and substitute point guard for Westbrook, has good enough ball handling and game management skills that Billy Donovan won’t let Deonte Burton eat into his minutes. The same can be said for Terrance Ferguson’s 3-and-D capabilities. Donovan is willing to let T-Ferg struggle on occasion in the hopes that he’ll find his groove as the game wears on.

Veteran Markieff Morris most likely won’t see much of an impact from the addition of Burton to the roster as he makes for a nice second man off the bench. That leaves Abdel Nader, Raymond Felton, and Patrick Patterson all vulnerable to completely losing out on any playing time with Nader being the least likely to lose minutes.

At this point in the season, the reality is Burton is here to learn and come in to get whatever scrap minutes are left at the ends of games that will result in clear wins or losses. For better or worse, other players are already entrenched in their roles. Next year, on the other hand, Burton will be a key guy to keep an eye on because a fresh start for everybody could mean the ‘Bulldog’ will bully his way into much more significant playing time at the cost of others losing out on their roles.

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Burton just needs to be given the opportunity to know he’s going to have a certain number of minutes he can work with as his baseline rather than sporadically being given two minutes one game and 15 the next. Very few players can go in and capitalize with a strong performance if they don’t have a consistent time clock they’re working with.

The Thunder could use a bulldog type of player – someone who looks and plays like he could step onto the gridiron as confidently as he does the hardtop; someone who downright hustles and plays with reckless abandon; someone who gets five fouls a game and toes the line on his sixth; someone who isn’t dainty in the paint and crashes through towering defenders. A good 3-point shooter is great to have on the court, but only if he’s making his shots.

Deonte is a guy who can enter games to disrupt the flow in OKC’s favor with bullish drives in the paint while harassing and interrupting opposing players’ grooves. Burton doesn’t need 30 minutes of play to make a difference. He only needs 8-20 to do his damage. But those 8-20 minutes need to come from somewhere…

An unfortunate injury to someone like Schröder, Ferguson, or Morris could throw the Thunder into turmoil if players like Nader and Burton aren’t ready to step up. With the Thunder all but guaranteed a spot in the playoffs, giving Deonte Burton a fair crack at carving out a small but defined role for himself might prove to be a difference maker as Oklahoma City solidifies into its post-season identity.

In a conversation with The Oklahoman, Deonte Burton said:

"“You never know what’s going to happen, … so it teaches you just always be ready. For anything. For any position, any time, any place. Just be prepared.”"