One of the recurring and most persistent storylines surrounding the Thunder in Orlando is the progression of Andre Roberson.
Roberson, one of the NBA’s most impactful defensive players, has been working out with the team and, based on the reviews, has been quite impressive.
For a team that has championship aspirations, a return to action for him could give the Thunder a valuable jolt.
Despite that, head coach Billy Donovan hasn’t committed to anything related to the young swingman. He hasn’t played in over two years and nobody can be sure what such a long layoff will have done to his timing and instincts.
To this point, however, he’s received nothing but praise and high marks from those on the team, Donovan included.
The head coach addressed reporters Friday morning and provided yet another update on Roberson, who fully participated in what Donovan referred to as a “high-intensity day” of practice, according to The Oklahoman’s Jenni Carlson.
“It was a pretty high intensity day for us,” Donovan said of Friday’s practice. “Did a lot of scrimmaging. We did a lot of defensive work, half-court execution stuff, situations.
“He’s doing great. I think he’s gaining confidence. I think he’s got confidence in where he’s at physically. I think he’s trying to gain confidence right now in terms of being out from playing competitive basketball for two years.”
The coach also noted that Roberson is “progressing well,” which bodes positively for his return to live-action.
The Thunder will begin exhibition play in Orlando on July 24. So long as Roberson doesn’t suffer any setbacks, it stands to reason that the coach will find a few minutes for the once-prized defensive stalwart. It simply boils down to being a high-reward, low-risk proposition, especially since Roberson himself said he was ready to return back in April.
So far, his performance is backing up his declaration.
On a related note, there has been some conjecture that some teams may treat the eight seeding games — the Thunder will begin their schedule on Aug. 1 — as a preseason in preparation for the playoffs.
In theory, that would give Oklahoma City plenty of time to get Roberson some live-action in time to see whether he can be an asset come playoff time. He’s on the roster, so it’d make a lot of sense to see what he was able to offer.
In all likelihood, he will continue to be an oft-discussed topic. To this point, though, the reviews have been all positive.