OKC Thunder failed to replace Alex Abrines and its hurt them big time

Who took Abrines’ place in the rotation?

Since Abrines’ departure, coach Billy Donovan has leaned heavily on a Westbrook-Ferguson or Westbrook-Schroder back-court with sporadic minutes going to Deonte Burton and Hamidou Diallo. Recently signed Burton has yet to make his mark at the minute and Diallo has been stuck in the G-League for development purposes.

One other beneficiary of AA’s departure is former Boston Celtic Abdel Nader.

The second-year forward has forced his way into the Thunder rotation on the back of some fantastic individual performances thanks to his ability to shoot the long ball. The former Iowa State product has evolved his game to where he is comfortable putting the ball on the floor, attacking the hole and showing off his surprising athletic ability.

In certain match-ups however, Nader is found wanting against more experienced opponents and commits silly unnecessary fouls. To be fair, he has shown flashes of defensive potential, recovering when beaten off the bounce and blocking shots at the rim.

Still, Nader is half the defender Abrines is and its shown more often than not placing the team’s defensive system in strife.