OKC Thunder grades – Heat sweep season series

A mixed bag for Luguentz Dort as he struggled offensively but made Jimmy Butler’s night difficult as the primary defender on him.

My grade for Dort always takes into consideration he guards the top player and how successful he is t limiting their effectiveness.

Butler is a nightmare to guard because he contributes so much to the Heat on both sides of the court. His I.Q. and abilities are top-notch so he’s one of the best at controlling the game by finding the best matchup and get them the ball. He’s also fine taking over a game in clutch time.

Overall, Dort did a decent job with Butler who was 3 of 11.  Lu can’t be held responsible for the nine assists Butler amassed because that’s on the next Thunder defender. Also on the plus side was his seven rebounds, four assists, and steal plus getting to the line five times.

The negative was his efficiency (3 of 15 and 1 of 8 from deep).

Grading Bazley in this match proved to be the hardest of the group.

Lately, the sophomore has looked fatigued and started games well but disappeared in the second halves. In the last game versus the Cavaliers, our team felt he looked unengaged and disinterested so I paid special attention to him in this match.

In fairness to Bazley not having Al Horford available made for a tough defensive night for both Baz and Roby. Particularly with a player like Bam Adebayo in the mix. But, there were several occasions early that Bazley provided help on defense.

More importantly (and reflective of the grade) was his effort in the fourth quarter. Mark Daigneault elected to rest his core at the start of the fourth. By the time Baz and SGA reentered the match the Thunder were trailing by 12 (89-77).

Unlike his recent matches where he started well then faded he rose up as one of the only players who produced in the fourth and fought to try to get back in the game. He took three shots scoring on all three (two 3-pointers) and grabbed three rebounds. So Baz scored almost half of the points (8 of 17 points) to close out the game.

Once again, Isaiah Roby got the tap to replace Al Horford in the starting rotation as the Thunder continue to load manage the vet in second games of back-to-back sets.

There’s a lot to like about Roby’s game and this match, in particular, offered a role model for him to emulate. Coincidentally he also drew the majority of time guarding him (Bam Adebayo).

His toolbox is full and at 23 there is ample time for his development. Roby was highly efficient on the night shooting 4 of 5 from the field, 2 of 2 from deep, and 2 of 2 from the line. He added five rebounds, an assist, and a steal.

Roby plays within the team system and his development could be key in how quickly the Thunder reascends to playoff contender.

The Thunder ultimately doesn’t want to win too much so the games Horford sits offers an opportunity for Roby to shine and also develop chemistry with the other starters.

To that end, while it would be good to see Bazley and Roby forge an organic fit the one player who already seems to have it with Isaiah is Maledon. The sets where they run pick and roll plays or interact are smooth as silk.