14-0. That was the record the healthy Thunder prime starting lineup produced in the span between December 1 and the demoralizing moment Andre Roberson sustained a patella injury that would effectively end his 2017-18 campaign. The injury couldn't have come at a worse time – Russell Westbrook, Paul George, and Carmelo Anthony started showing signs of a net-positive coexistence on offense, Steven Adams asserted himself as the ultimate provider of second chance opportunities, and Roberson quietly anchored the entire defense with the poise of a DPOY.
The hushed talks on the Thunder potential to dethrone Kevin Durant and the Warriors started getting traction again, and rightfully so.
In the 540 minutes that lineup shared on the court, the Thunder were a truly dominant force, outscoring their opponents by a whopping 15.6 points.
The public attention was predictably focused on the improving offensive synergy between Westbrook, George and Anthony, with an occasional song of praise for Steven Adams and his historical rebounding season.
Roberson was often ridiculed for his perceived lack of offensive prowess and therefore continued to operate in the shadows as the main cog of the newly found defensive identity in Oklahoma City. With Dre on the floor, the Thunder were allowing a dozen fewer points to the opposition, while forcing turnovers at an absurd, league-leading rate.
Ironically, it was the season-ending injury that made the public properly appreciate his overall impact; in the ten games that followed, the Thunder went just 4-6 with an atrocious defensive rating of 112.3 points given per 100 possessions.
It became absolutely clear during that span that Sam Presti will have to quickly respond and find a replacement in the mold of Andre Roberson. Without a player who can so effortlessly hide his teammates' defensive lapses, primarily that of Russell Westbrook whose bad defensive habits immediately surfaced again with Roberson out, the Thunder would have a tough time staying in playoff contention, let alone championship discussions.
With Westbrook, George, Anthony, and Adams taking up the majority of the payroll with their hefty contracts, the hands of the Thunder front office were tied cap-wise, so they stood pat until the very end of the trade window. It was the relatively deep pool of free agents that provided a glimmer of hope for the Thunder fans, and the most vocal group was actively rooting for the acquisition of Tony Allen. The Grindfather's defense-only mentality seemed like a perfect remedy that could help alleviate all the issues stemming from Roberson's long-term absence. Those rumors, however, never came to fruition due to Allen's age and deteriorating fitness.
Enter Corey Brewer. The fanbase wasn't exactly blown away with the signing; Brewer virtually fell off the cliff in the last two seasons spent with the Rockets and the Lakers, shooting at a lousy 24 percent clip from beyond the arc in that span.
He did build a reputation as a respectable defender, but he was by no means considered as elite a stopper as Roberson. The consensus was that the Thunder acquired a piece that might be sort of useful, but won't tip the needle in favor of their budding championship aspirations.
What the doubters of the move didn't take into account, though, was the tight connection between Brewer and coach Billy Donovan. The duo won two consecutive NCAA championships with the University of Florida in 2006 and 2007, and the already established relationship significantly shortened the adaptation period for Brewer.
The interim solution with Josh Huestis as a starter simply wasn't going to work in the long run, so Donovan felt that Brewer is ready to take on the starting shooting guard duties after just two games with the organization. That move was definitely expected, since Donovan's hand was kind of forced due to circumstances, but the manner in which Brewer seamlessly integrated with the rest of the Thunder starters came as a huge surprise.
The “Brewnaissance” kicked off with his first start in front of the home crowd against the bottom-dwelling Suns. While the Thunder have been dealing with their own strain of puzzling issues against teams committed to tanking, the win in this particular matchup was never in question. The whole starting group was a +20 or better, and Brewer followed suit with a + 26 and 17 points on 6/11 shooting.
Brewer started proving from the get-go that collaborating with Westbrook will not be an issue, as he properly filled the passing lanes and recognized opportunities to run the floor, knowing that the NBA assist leader's pass is going to find him.
The 6′ 9” forward's ability to run and cut wasn't the source of concern though; it was his sub-par efficiency from the perimeter that many believed would pose a disadvantage. Brewer, however, responded well in that regard. He immediately started showing flashes of what the Thunder hoped Roberson could eventually become – a respectable shooter who will punish any attempts of double-teaming and clogging the lane.
Brewer has obviously found his rhythm in the new system that feeds him wide-open corner shots. Even though a certain regression percentage-wise is expected, the opposition will likely have to abandon the current modus operandi of absolutely cheating off of the Thunder's man in the corner:
It is becoming clear that Brewer's presence currently opens up a plethora of new offensive opportunities for the Thunder – they have been the sixth best offensive team in the NBA since his insertion into the starting lineup.
While Brewer has thus far been at least a step above Roberson in the offensive department, the real question is whether he can have a similar impact on the other end of the floor. The eye-test and the basic defensive stats suggest a positive answer to that question. His above average agility (especially for a guy his size) and lateral quickness, coupled with the veteran-like sense of anticipation on where the next opponent pass might be headed, have given Brewer the opportunity to shine on defense.
Right now, Brewer is averaging an incredible 2.7 steals per game as a starter, with the absolute highlights of his short stint with the Thunder coming in the game against the Clippers, and the hard-fought victory against the Raptors in Air Canada Centre. In the clash with direct playoff competitors in the West, he matched his career-high in steals, while also dropping a season-high 22 points. He then carried the hot streak to Canada, scoring in double digits for the sixth time in eight games, and recording three steals with a couple of crucial defensive stops on DeMar DeRozan.
While he definitely deserves praise for his recent inspired performances, the Thunder fans shouldn't get carried away – Brewer's individual defense hasn't yet translated to a Roberson-like impact on the overall team defensive rating, and he will probably never be the player you can completely rely on to shut down the best opposing wing. However, his high level of energy and the ability to swiftly read passing lanes have been truly encouraging, and a clear improvement over what Huestis and Terrance Ferguson currently have to offer.
6-0. That is the record Billy Donovan and the Thunder produced since introducing Corey Brewer to the starting lineup, a gamble that was rewarded by 14 points per game on 52/50/95 shooting splits and a dynamic defensive presence. Brewer is playing his best basketball since that 51-point peak as the member of the Timberwolves and is shaping up to be one of the most valuable mid-season acquisitions across the league.
The Thunder fans might be ready to hand the MVP award to Brewer right now, but keeping a clear head and remaining patient is crucial at this point of the season. 100 percent success rate definitely seems promising, but excluding the important triumphs over the Clippers and the Raptors, all wins came against tanking or injury-plagued teams. Sustaining the current production on both ends of the floor will, therefore, be the main point of focus for Brewer, as the Thunder prepare to face nine playoff-seeded teams in the remaining ten regular season games.
While counting on Corey Brewer to carry the Thunder to a fairytale ending of the 2017-18 season would be downright delusional, it is evident that his addition sparked the team's hasty recovery from an unexpected loss of Andre Roberson. If the entire team manages to ride that momentum into the final stretch of the season and the playoffs, the Thunder will once again become a force to be reckoned with.
Realistically, no one is getting fooled into thinking Brewer has suddenly evolved into a player that makes the difference night in and night out – that burden still lies upon the back of Russell Westbrook and, to a certain extent, Paul George, Carmelo Anthony and Steven Adams. However, with recent developments, it seems that the Lakers' decision to buy-out Brewer just might help the Thunder reach the deeper end of the playoffs, and that move could, in a satirical turn of events, go down as the one that keeps Paul George out of L.A. for the foreseeable future.
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