Is Anthony Morrow the Missing Piece for the Thunder?
Russell Westbrook may have recorded his seventh triple-double of the season last night against the Pistons, but Anthony Morrow was the real story.
The resurgence of Anthony Morrow has been a beautiful thing to watch these past few games. Billy Donovan decided to replace Alex Abrines’ minutes with Morrow against Sacramento; although it didn’t work in that game the switch has helped the Thunder win their last two games.
Considering I’m Abrines’ biggest fan in the world, this kinda hurts in all honesty. Still, a Thunder win is more important to me than watching the Spaniard sharpshooter play…but only slightly.
Contrary to popular belief, Morrow is much more than a shooter. He has a nice floater off the dribble and his high basketball IQ leads to beautiful backcuts from time-to-time. If his shots are falling (like last night) than Morrow actually plays competent on the defensive end as well. It’s a sad side effect of the NBA, but Morrow is in a contract year so you’d expect that defensive intensity to continue in order for the 31-year old to get signed again this summer.
Nov 26, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Anthony Morrow (2) drives to the basket in front of Detroit Pistons guard Beno Udrih (19) during the fourth quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Morrow’s most important attribute is his age though.
Before Morrow’s installment in the rotation, Russell Westbrook was the oldest OKC player at the ripe age of 28 (his birthday is November 12). When the offense stagnated or their opponent went on a run, the young guys didn’t have a veteran on the court to help calm them down.
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At this point in time, Morrow and Abrines are essentially the same player. Both are incredibly streaky shooters. Both have the ability to create for others on offense just by being on the floor. And both are spotty on the defensive end. One is 23 and the other is 31.
I’ve been clamoring that Oklahoma City needs to add another veteran presence. The way Anthony Morrow has played recently, it seems like that veteran may already be on the roster. As nice as it is to continue playing Abrines to help him grow, at this state of time Morrow needs to be in the lineup over him.
But will his play keep up at this rate? Morrow has always had the ability to post big numbers over an entire season, just check his stats before coming to OKC. If he sinks back into mediocrity, than Billy Donovan should consider bringing Abrines back off the bench.
Until then, Anthony Morrow should continue being the first guard off the bench for the Thunder.