OKC Thunder: The case for Isaiah Roby to start the rest of the season

The OKC Thunder are having a season where they are assessing players to see if they have a future with the franchise. Isaiah Roby has surpassed all expectations and should start.

When the OKC Thunder traded Justin Patton for Isaiah Roby, they sent a player who was underwhelming in the G-League and received an injured rookie in return. This was not the headline trade of the season, probably going under the radar of most non-Thunder fans,

Roby only played 11 minutes in three games last season in the NBA. He did see some G-League action but not enough to make an assessment.

However, this season Roby has come in ready to play, and the Thunder are reaping the rewards.

Roby has played nine games for the season and is averaging 8.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. He is shooting the ball at 59.3 percent from the floor, 40.0 percent from deep, and 55.6 percent from the line.

Why Isaiah Roby should start for the OKC Thunder

Off the bench, Roby is averaging 6.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 0.5 steals in 15.0 minutes per game. He is shooting the ball well, going at 56.5 percent from the floor, 40.0 percent from deep, and 67.7percent from the line.

While these are good numbers for a backup, they do not stack up in comparison to his starting averages.

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In this role, Roby is averaging 14.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 0.7 blocks in 26.0 minutes per game. He is shooting the ball at a better rate from the floor, going at 61.3 percent. His number from deep is still 40.0 percent and his free throw shooting drops to 44.4 percent. If you take out his first start, his free throw shooting is back at 66.7 percent — forgive the man for having some nerves in his first star!

Part of Roby’s uptick in numbers can be explained by the increased playing time. However, to counter that, Roby has been playing against starters who are simply better players. In games where he is more involved, he even looked like a point-center with some of his ball-handling and passing in transition.

How the OKC Thunder would look with Isaiah Roby starting.

Roby would most likely start at the four, pairing up with Al Horford who would still man the middle. This would then move Darius Bazley to small forward where he would be able to use his nuclear athleticism against smaller wings.

Luguentz Dort would keep his spot in the starting lineup because of his two-way ability, leaving Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at the point. This would push George Hill to the bench where he could come in and run the second unit until the moment he potentially gets traded.

This would give the Thunder an incredibly versatile unit which would certainly trouble a lot of the NBA. It would also allow coach Mark Daigneault to assess another player in a starting role.

This season, there is no harm in trying anything.