BOSTON – The long trip from New Orleans to Boston and some chilly winter weather didn’t stop the buzz about Alex Abrines’ big night against the Pelicans.
The rookie Thunder guard will have a long journey with ups and downs, but it was fun for his Thunder teammates and coaching staff to watch him have a breakthrough performance on the road in a tight ballgame. The Spaniard’s career-high 18 points were all big ones, particularly the 12 points he scored in the fourth quarter.
“I’m really proud of him,” center Enes Kanter said. “He came out big time from the bench.”
Thunder Talk: Alex Abrines
“He’s learning,” Head Coach Billy Donovan said. “When we played against Madrid and Barcelona, the game was so different over there than it is in the NBA. For him, he’s finding it different and having to learn as well.”
Not every matchup will be for Abrines here in his first NBA season, but the Thunder coaching staff believes he has the tools to be a good all-around player. Fellow sharpshooter Anthony Morrow believes Abrines will have a long NBA career because of the way he can shoot the ball. The guard also has some room to grow, but has the mental and athletic gifts to be successful. “The thing that helps is that Alex has good, quick feet,��� Donovan explained. “His body will get stronger and he’ll get better. He’s learning all the way around, in every facet. He has a really good feel of how to play. He has a high IQ and he’s a bright guy and a smart guy. He can come in and impact games.”
Thunder Talk: Coach Donovan
Kanter on the Block In the post, defenders rarely have a high percentage chance of stopping Kanter from getting where he wants to go. His dexterity, footwork, quickness and touch around the rim usually means a one-on-one post up chance turns into a layup, a hook shot or an up-and-under that requires the easiest of finishes. As a result, opposing teams have double teamed Kanter in the post, and it’s been a learning opportunity for the Turkish center to recognize where that extra defender is coming from and how to deal with it.
“I used to get really nervous when they double teamed me,” Kanter admitted. “Now I’m taking my time reading the defense, reading the other four guys and what they’re doing. I’m trying to find the open man and my teammates are doing an amazing job making the open shot.”
Thunder Talk: Enes Kanter
“I don’t mind it (now) because I’m getting people open,” Kanter said. “It feels really good to get my teammates buckets. They’re happy and I’m happy.”
The Thunder’s reserves had as many assists (11) as the starting unit did in the win at New Orleans, a sign that the ball was ping-ponging its way around the court. When Kanter got double teamed, he identified the open man – often times Semaj Christon and Joffrey Lauvergne who then made the next pass when a defender charged over. Hockey assists were created out of those post ups, and Kanter became the engine of some inside-out offense.
“He’s done a really good job of making those kind of decisions,” Donovan explained. “When you work that hard as a big man to catch the ball in the post, in a lot of ways you’re sacrificing for the team.
“If the floor is spaced correctly, you can really have some good things happen from there with ball movement and the ball coming out,” Donovan continued.