Cameron Payne Expected To Play Tonight For Thunder
By Randy Renner, Senior Writer
The Thunder have recalled point guard Cameron Payne from the D-League’s OKC Blue, more than likely that signals his return to action for the Thunder.
He spoke with reporters after this morning’s team shootaround and doesn’t know for sure if he’ll play or how many minutes he might get. He said he was not aware of any minutes restrictions due to health concerns.
Payne played well in his two re-hab games with the Blue scoring 14 points on Tuesday night and 22 on Thursday when he was red hot beyond the arc going 7-for-8 on threes.
In Payne’s absence the Thunder have mostly relied on Semaj Christon as the backup to Russell Westbrook. Now both Christon and Payne could be on the floor together at times or even along with Westbrook.
Payne broke a bone in his right foot during the Blue-White scrimmage early in Thunder training camp so his anticipated appearance in tonight’s game with the Denver Nuggets will be his first NBA action of the season.
The Thunder haven’t won yet in 2017, going 0-3 during their beginning of the year road trip so it will be good to get back to a fully healthy roster.
The Thunder could have (and probably should have) won all three of those games but couldn’t close the deal at the end.
The Nuggets are a team that’s really struggling on defense. The first time these teams met OKC won 132-129 in overtime at Denver.
More recently the Nuggets have lost four straight and haven’t given up fewer than 120 points in any of those games.
"We can't be a team that just relies on their offense to pick up our defense," head coach Michael Malone told The Denver Post. "We have to pick up our defense every night regardless of whether we're making shots or not."
Making shots has been a problem at critical times for the Thunder these last few games and especially in tight contests.
Westbrook just missed a possible game-winner Thursday night at Houston when he took a couple of dribbles and launched a three. A closer-in two-pointer might have done it since the game was tied at 116.
"I thought it was going to go in," Thunder coach Billy Donovan told NBA.com. "It was right on line. He had his balance, he had his legs under him and it hit the back of the rim."
Westbrook leads the NBA in clutch points with 138. No one else in the league has over a 100.
However, he is also just 2-for-18 on go-ahead 3-pointers in the final 10 seconds during his career, including 0-for-6 this season.
According to NBA.com/stats Westbrook attempts a three 60 percent of the time in the closing seconds of a one possession game. Asked today at shootaround by The Oklahoman’s Erik Horne why he chooses that type of shot Russ replied, “whatever presents itself.”
Of course when you’re a career 30 percent 3-point shooter and a career 11.1 percent shooter on threes taken in the last 10 seconds of tight games that probably would be the shot opposing defenses would present.
Westbrook has the courage to take any shot and to take the heat afterwards if it doesn’t go in. He does have other options like Victor Oladipo and Steven Adams and perhaps now Cameron Payne if he’s on the floor late in games.
Perhaps now is the time to seriously start exploring those options.