Is Anthony Morrow The Answer For OKC's Scoring Problem?

A. Suave Francisco

Throughout this early Oklahoma City Thunder season, the number one concern has been offense. Who can help Russell score? Who can be a consistent scorer on this team, because Victor Oladipo has been streaky and so has Steven Adams. OKC’s 106-88 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night may have hinted towards who that player may be. 

Anthony Morrow hasn’t played much while he’s been a member of the Thunder but somehow he’s remained a crowd favorite. He’s known for having “the fastest gun in the West” and that has proven to be true. Especially against the Pistons, where he scored 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting in 23 minutes. Everyone around the Thunder organization, including the fans and media have been begging to see more of Morrow and they got that wish. Morrow didn’t disappoint, either. 

What’s stopped him from getting significant playing time in the past has been his lack of defense. It’s never been a question of effort, he just doesn't possess the attributes of a good defender; mostly quickness and speed. He’s been such a liability defensively that it doesn’t matter how much he scores because he’ll just be giving those points up on the other side of the ball. However, Saturday night Billy Donovan orchestrated a lineup that would allow Morrow to get his playing time while keeping the defensive intensity. 

Morrow and Jerami Grant on the court at the same time sets up a great night. Grant picks up Morrow’s defensive struggles and Morrow picks up Grant’s streaky offensive game. It’s a match made in heaven. Against the Pistons, Grant scored 9 points on 4-for-8 shooting, but added two blocks to that and altered many shots that don’t show up in the stat book. 

Morrow got off to a slow start this season, partially due to him not getting consistent playing time and in result not getting into a solid rhythm but maybe Billy Donovan has seen just how beneficial Morrow is for this team when he plays 20 or more minutes per game. He consistently has a positive plus/minus every game as well and was a +12 tonight.

OKC is now (10-8) on the season and may have found a formula that’ll make them a much better team moving forward. They will hit the road against the New York Knicks (8-8) on Monday and will return home against the Washington Wizards (5-10) on Wednesday. If the Thunder continue this trend of balanced scoring and above-average defense, they shouldn’t have a problem with either of the two teams moving forward. They should end next week with a (12-8) record, going into their matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday.