Breaking down reformulated OKC Thunder roster following trio of trades

The returnee:

After more than a year and a half spent on the sidelines, Andre Roberson is expected to make his return this season. The big question is how his injury affected his ability particularly as one of the best defenders in the Association.

Likewise, precisely how much Roberson was able to expand his offense will be one of the big questions entering training camp. What we do know is Roberson was working with a shooting coach last summer to improve his shooting prior to suffering a set back in his rehab which required yet another surgery.

At the top end of the wishlist is Roberson retains his defensive ability and has taken this time to improve the mechanics of his shot. That isn’t something that typically happens for a player already in his prime (Roberson will turn 28 in December). That said, it’s not unheard of for a player to improve an aspect of the game. The perfect example would be point guards who can drive and attack the paint adding a 3-point shot to their tool kit in the latter stages of their career (see Jason Kidd as an example).

When he last played for the OKC Thunder it was the 2017-18 season when he got in 39 games prior to his injury. His per game stats that season were 5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.9 blocks. Notably, Roberson ranked second only to Westbrook for his defensive box score that season.