OKC Thunder fade in the 4th: Roby shines in 3 takeaways

Roby stuffs stat sheet in OKC Thunder stating debut

It’s safe to say that Isaiah Roby’s first NBA start exceeded expectations.

The second-year player who had never scored a point in an NBA regular-season game until Tuesday finished with 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting while pulling down seven rebounds and blocking two shots.

Roby also managed to take care of the ball ending the game as one of the few Thunder players who didn’t turn the ball over more than once. In a game riddled with Thunder turnovers, that’s saying something.

Roby’s first bucket of the game was a 3-pointer on an assist from Gilgeous-Alexander that pulled the Thunder within two in the opening minutes of the game. Roby went on to score six more points in the quarter to account for nine of the Thunder’s 27 first-quarter points.

While his performance left many fans buzzing about his potential, there seems to be one moment that stuck out to Thunder and NBA fans alike.

Roby was explosive, smart, and dominant.

His hustle in the game against the Magic was on full display when he kept churning his feet on a loose ball, scooped it, went in against Nikola Vucevic, and smoothly tossed it into the bucket.

Horford is likely gone by the trade deadline, and Roby is determined to show that he belongs in the starting rotation. One game doesn’t make him a star by any stretch of the imagination but it certainly gives coaches, teammates, and fans an opportunity to see what he is capable of if given the chance.