Chris Mannix: Roberson's Return Strengthens Thunder

It only fits that Andre Roberson's return to the NBA comes during this season. In a year full of surprises, Roberson is giving Thunder fans one more reason to believe the basketball gods are smiling on Oklahoma City.

With 5:33 left in the third quarter of Friday's scrimmage vs. the Celtics Roberson replaced Mike Muscala making his first appearance for the Thunder in 2 and a half seasons. An emotional standing ovation from the Oklahoma City bench more than made up for the lack of crowd in Orlando.

Now it's time to get down to business, and a Thunder lineup rich with win defenders just got better. The Celtics broadcast crew was emphatic about Oklahoma City being the one team you don't want to face when the playoffs get underway.

Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated says:

"Roberson's return deepens an already strong Oklahoma City second unit."..." The Thunder will resume the season tied with Houston for fifth in the Western Conference, a game behind Utah (which will be without Bojan Bogdanovic for the rest of the season), and 2 ½ behind the nicked-up Nuggets."

"A versatile defender, Roberson is another body—one with plenty of playoff experience—that Donovan can throw at some of the West's top wing scorers."

"Roberson won't play significant minutes, but in a strange season, every advantage counts.

909 Days Later, Roberson Plays Again.

A story of perseverance, and the man who showed all of Thunder nation what it means.
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) July 25, 2020

It's easy to say that Roberson won't be on the floor much. But considering how Billy Donovan likes to mix and match his rotations based on the opponents' personnel, don't rule out Roberson getting valuable court time in certain games.

It's also worth noting that Sam Presti is a big fan of Robberson's.

"The thing that makes Dre [Roberosn] a great defender is that when someone scores on him, it doesn't deter him from the next possession."..." If you're casually watching Andre [Roberson], you won't get it, but if you're truly watching and you know what to watch for, this guy, he impacts winning.".

At worst, Roberson will be excellent insurance if Dort or Ferguson gets into foul trouble. He's also proving he can play multiple positions which will come in handy, the further the Thunder get in the postseason.

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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.