Jeremiah Robinson-Earl or Isaiah Roby: OKC's Versatile Big Man of the Future

Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Isaiah Roby have both showcased their ability to be an undersized big in the modern NBA.

The modern NBA has been shifting towards stretch big men for quite some time now. 

While Isaiah Roby was out of the rotation at the beginning of the season, he's been receiving a good amount of court time recently and producing at a high clip. While the Thunder didn't win many games last year, Roby was a bright spot for OKC's collection of young talent. 

Jeremiah Robinson-Earl came into the league as a polished, undersized big man this year and has caught the eye of many NBA fans and analysts. He was even listed at No. 9 on the NBA's Rookie Ladder. 

While these two can definitely co-exist in some ways, it's interesting to think about whose long term development is more important to the success of the Thunder.

Offense

Alonzo Adams / USA TODAY Sports

While their offensive games are strikingly similar, Roby is more polished at the moment. In a small sample size, Roby is putting up extremely impressive numbers so far this season.

Through 18 games, he has only played 13 minutes per game. In limited opportunity he has been efficient, adding 6.7 points and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 56% from the floor and 50% from 3-point range. 

Roby, coming off of an 8.7 point and 5.6 rebound campaign in 2020-21, has had a year to develop and polish his game and it's showing this season. Roby is a great rotational piece to have and could continue to develop into a playable guy on a winning team.

Robinson-Earl has surprised fans with his 3-point shooting abilities. While he's not shooting at the clip that Roby is shooting at, he's playing almost double the minutes and taking double the attempts. He has displayed true potential in the pick-and-roll game, along with his confidence in floating out to the 3-point line. He also seems to have strong chemistry already with Josh Giddey.

Defense

Alonzo Adams / USA TODAY Sports

While neither are necessarily known for defense, the edge goes to Robinson-Earl. JRE is one inch taller at 6'9 and almost 15 pounds heavier at 245 pounds. He has given the Thunder the best chance to rebound, defend and play physical when he is the only option at center.

Roby has struggled in the past defensively. He tends to play a less physical style and fouls too much when his man gets the ball in the post. While he's quick on his feet, sometimes it seems he's a step behind.

According to NBA.com, both have struggled to defend this season, as Robinson-Earl ranks 12th on the team in defense while Roby sits at 14th.

Their low ratings can definitely be attributed to lack of another post presence and the Thunder's lack of a true center, so the defensive win-shares aren't too alarming.

With a bigger frame, and seemingly a higher basketball IQ, Robinson-Earl has more potential on the defensive end. He gets to his spot early and knows where to be. He's also been switched out onto talented guards often and has held his ground on the perimeter.

The Verdict

[Alonzo Adams]

Both Robinson-Earl and Roby can contribute to this Thunder team going forward. Both forwards are very young and have room to develop and each of them have made progress throughout the season and look better with each game.

As far as who can help the Thunder win more in the future, the answer is Robinson-Earl. It's clear that the coaching staff and the front office truly believe in his abilities based off of his playing time and the fact that he's almost always in the starting line-up at this point.

While Roby has played fantastic in stretches this year, he's still spending some time in the G League here and there bettering his craft. Roby could be a great back-up big man, though, especially with his improved ability to knock down 3-pointers.

Both of these players might benefit from playing power forward with a true center on the roster, but for now, Robinson-Earl's ceiling is higher.

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