OKC Thunder – 3 valuable takeaways from loss to Nuggets

Schroder’s value is immense

It’s not a secret Dennis Schroder has produced the best season of his career. We’ll have to cross our fingers he gets the Sixth Man Award which he deserves. There is a ton of scuttlebutt that Montrezl Harrell will win and with the death of his grandmother, he may be the emotional favorite now.

Both players provided great help to their teams win totals but if we look at the effect of their absences it’s clear Schroder’s value is missed more than Harrell. Again, that’s not a slight to Montrezl the Clippers simply have an obscene level of depth unlike any team in the association.

Comparatively, the Thunder does possess talent but not three lines worth. Rather, their reserves are primarily composed of youthful prospects. That’s not such a terrible thing when you consider all those draft picks hanging in Sam Presti’s closet.

Without Schroder’s service, the Nuggets game highlighted his importance. Schroder’s role of running the reserves as the primary scorer and playmaker coupled with joining the closing lineup works to perfection.

SGA did improve as the game went on but he excels playing beside another playmaker like Paul or Schroder.

Moving forward it’s important for the young core to develop their playmaking skills so when the day comes that CP3, Gallo, and other vets aren’t on the squad there will be others who can handle playmaking responsibilities beyond SGA.