Why Anthony Morrow Should Start for Oklahoma City Thunder Next Season
When the Oklahoma City Thunder open next season, Anthony Morrow should be the team's starting shooting guard. Morrow's presence as a three-point marksman opens up space for Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook as well as raises the ceiling of an already dangerous offense.
In his first go-around with the Thunder, Morrow is coming off the best effort of his well-traveled career. He averaged 10.7 points per game, which is the most he's contributed since 2011-12. He converted 43.4 percent from three, which ranked seventh in the NBA, setting a career high with 141 triples in the process. Most importantly, on a team ravaged by injuries, Morrow led the Thunder by playing in 74 games.
In his exit interview, Morrow set some lofty goals for himself to help prepare for the next season.
"I just want to continue to strive to be in even better shape. I came in in great shape, but I want to be in tip-top shape. That's something I always strive to do and work on my body even more. I set a goal for the amount of shots I want to make this summer. Some kind of ridiculous number. I'm trying to make like 80,000 shots or something crazy.
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Morrow will need to be in good health for the competition he'll face for the starting two-guard spot. Andre Roberson, Dion Waiters and even Jeremy Lamb will all look to impress new head coach Billy Donovan this summer.
Each guard brings something different to the table. Roberson is a 6'7" defensive stopper who makes life miserable on the perimeter. Waiters is an athletic slasher, and Lamb is an enigma who has struggled with inconsistency throughout his career.
However, when the dust settles, Morrow deserves the nod to be Westbrook's backcourt running mate. He's a dangerous shooter who doesn't require a lot of touches to be effective and can consistently make defenses pay if and when they try to double up elsewhere.
Former Thunder head coach Scott Brooks traditionally opted for a defensive-minded shooting guard to play alongside Westbrook. It was the main reason Roberson got the starting nod last season and why Thabo Sefolosha held the job for five-and-a-half years before him.
With Donovan entrenched as OKC's new sultan of the sidelines, that strategy appears to be over.
In his introductory press conference, Donovan gave a glimpse of his offensive mindset.
"I've always been a ball movement, player movement and extra pass team and coach. That’s what I really believe in, ball movement, player movement, extra pass. If you’ve got a shot and someone’s got a better one, move the ball. And creating multiple actions on different sides of the floor, keeping the floor moving, keeping it spaced and the ball continuing to move. Playing fast, moving and playing into a flow on offense.
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The key word is spacing. When you look back to some of Donovan's best teams at Florida, they always had a skilled shooter in the starting rotation, whether it was Mike Miller or Bradley Beal.
While Roberson, Lamb, and Waiters all possess qualities that make them intriguing options in the first five, none can space the floor quite like Morrow can.
Another advantage that works in Morrow's favor is in the on-court/off-court numbers. While the Thunder managed to produce an offensive rating of 106.4 with either Morrow or Waiters on the floor, the club allowed fewer points per 100 possessions when Morrow played, per NBA.com. Additionally, OKC's net rating with Morrow off the court was slightly worse than when Waiters took a seat, which means the squad missed the former just a little bit more.
Granted, these numbers are aided by Morrow having to play an increased role due to the Thunder's multitude of injuries. Once the team returns to full strength next season, these stats will likely look a little different.
| Name | Off. Rating (On) | Def. Rating (On) | Net Rating (On) | Off Rating (Off) | Def Rating (Off) | Net Rating (Off) |
| Morrow | 106.4 | 102.1 | +4.4 | 102.8 | 104.0 | -1.3 |
| Waiters | 106.4 | 103.5 | +4.1 | 106.6 | 107.4 | -0.8 |
| Roberson | 105.1 | 100.1 | +5.1 | 104.1 | 104.7 | -0.5 |
| Lamb | 97.8 | 104.1 | -6.3 | 105.6 | 103 | +2.7 |
The other benefit to having Morrow in the starting lineup is it puts the opposing defense in a tough spot. In his exit interview, Morrow explained how his presence on the floor helped OKC's dynamic duo.
"When I was on the floor with both of those guys, it was exactly what I thought it would be and what everybody thought it would be. Either they were guarding me or they weren't guarding me. A lot of it was more of being a decoy at that point in the game where it completely takes on of their defenders out and all Russell and Kevin need is a slither of space to make a play. So, I'm looking forward to being on the court with both of them again.
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Outside shooting was one of the Thunder's weakest areas this season, both because of a lack of capable marksmen as well as injuries to guys like Durant and Serge Ibaka. The team collectively shot 33.9 percent from deep, ranking 22nd in the league. Fortunately, with the healthy returns of KD and Ibaka, along with an increased role for Morrow and a new emphasis on ball movement, the Thunder should be much better in this area next season.
The biggest risk with starting Morrow comes on the defensive end, where opponents' normal field-goal percentage improved 2.6 percent from their normal clip with the 29-year-old defending, per NBA.com. However, it is worth noting that Morrow's 108 points allowed per 100 possessions was the second-best effort of his career and his contributions on offense will inevitably make up for his pedestrian defense.
Still, Morrow must work to become a better defender and not give back everything he puts up.
If Morrow were entrenched as the starter, Waiters would maintain his sixth-man role, Roberson could slide behind Durant as a backup small forward/defensive specialist while Lamb becomes a potential trade candidate.
For the second year in a row, the Oklahoma City Thunder will survey a deep list of candidates to fill the starting shooting guard spot. While each contender has his own set of flaws, Anthony Morrow is the best man for the job.
With a new offense specializing on taking quality shots and spacing the floor, Morrow's prowess as a lethal three-point marksman makes him a good fit.
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