The OKC Blue is humming along, and with several call ups to the OKC Thunder, much of the credit lies with Abdul Gaddy stepping up to fill the void.
Thanks to Luguentz Dort, Kevin Hervey, and Justin Patton being called up to the OKC Thunder the OKC Blue had an eight-man rotation. This was also the second night of a back-to-back. To say the odds were stacked against the Blue would be an understatement.
Three players scored more than 20 points but Abdul Gaddy had his season-high 27 points to go along with seven assists and four rebounds in a team-high 39 minutes. His play is crucial to the success of this team.
He only had nine minutes off the court for the game and was plus 20 when on the court. In his nine minutes, the Blue were -16. This highlights the importance of the floor general, particularly on a night where his team was short handed.
Abdul Gaddy with 27 Points vs. Santa Cruz Warriors https://t.co/0kDKDbRLvg via @YouTube
— Mervsports (@mervsports78) January 20, 2020
Gaddy has been doing this all season, giving the team what it needs when it needs it. Up until recently, there have been too many key players out for the Blue to compete effectively. However, this game was different, Gaddy looked for his own shot more than for others.
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As usual, Gaddy was extremely efficient going 10-of-16 from the floor, 2-of-3 from deep and 2-of-2 from the line. To make this outing even more impressive, Gaddy was the starting small forward. He normally starts at point guard.
Gaddy has become the ultimate Swiss army knife for this club and is about to make history. Gaddy has a total of 572 assists for the Blue, just sixth behind Daniel Hamilton who has 578. With just seven assists he will have the most by any OKC Blue player, in just one and a half seasons.
He is going to continue to get better and the only reason he will not see any action for the OKC Thunder this season is they look like they are not going to make a move before the deadline.
That fact will pay dividends for the OKC Blue and ultimately the OKC Thunder.