Thunder Bench Providing Spark

The Thunder's depth took a significant hit yesterday with Dennis Schroder leaving the bubble, and Terrance Ferguson and Mike Muscala both suffering injuries. We'll tell you who is stepping up and who else needs to produce for the Thunder to be successful.

In their two seeding games, the Oklahoma City Thunder bench has put up 67 points. In Monday's loss, Thunder reserves outscored the Nuggets second unit 27-14. 

That total is a little misleading considering Denver was down three starters. Still, what can't be argued is that Abdel Nader and Hamidou Diallo are giving the Thunder some much-needed depth, as Billy Donovan looks for players to step up the absence of Dennis Schroder. 

Nader was an efficient 5/6 from the field, scoring 13 points in 13 minutes, including two big threes, one coming late in the third the other early in fourth. Diallo is continuing to mature as a player processing the information coaches are giving him and putting it to use on the court. 

On to the next (Wednesday 5:30pm). pic.twitter.com/ebtIt8XAw2

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) August 3, 2020

During a fast break in the first quarter  Monday, Diallo had a chance to drive to the basket with a man in front of him ready to take charge. In the past, he would have tried to use his athletic ability to overpower anyone guarding him and committed the foul. 

Instead, Diallo pulled up for a nice little one-handed floater. Plays like that might seem simple, but as Donovan points out during the season when you aren't getting a lot of time to practice, it's hard for young players to take what coaches are telling them and apply it to in-game situations. 

With there being no time table for Schroder's return and Mike Muscala and Terrence Ferguson, both suffering injuries Andre Roberson and Darius Bazley will need to produce as well. It's all hands on deck for these next six games as the Thunder look to climb up in the Western Conference standings. 

 

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With more than 20 years of experience hosting local and national radio shows, Erik Gee is a fixture of Oklahoma sports media. He has covered the Oklahoma City Thunder for the past six seasons. He is also the co-host of the Pat Jones show on 97.1 The Sports Animal in Tulsa.