Part of what the Oklahoma City Thunder like about the 6-foot-8 Isaiah Roby is his versatility on both sides of the court.
He has shown the ability to handle the ball and create transition play on offense. On defense, he guarded several high-caliber players around the position spectrum.
When asked which matchups stood out to him this season, Roby said Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Boston Celtics wing Jaylen Brown.
“Jokic in the center, Giannis is a power forward. Jaylen Brown is a starting shooting guard. I think that those are just three guys that the coaches wanted to give me the challenge, give me the opportunity to go against those guys,” Roby said.
Roby said he started at least one game as the primary defender of each individual position.
“I think I’m able to guard any position in the NBA,” he said. “Guarding 1 through 5 is an invaluable skill for any team.”
Roby felt more comfortable against Jokic and Antetokoumpo in the second outings against them. They’re MVP-caliber players so they put up their numbers, but Roby said he felt he did better in the second go.
“With more experience, I think I’ll just continue get even better with that,” he said.
The Thunder view the 23-year-old forward/big as a player who can contribute to the positionless nature of an ideal OKC rotation.
While spacing the floor on offensive is part of this, being able to switch on defense and defend a variety of players is integral. Roby will look to improve in both the post and perimeter as he prepares for his third NBA season.
This post originally appeared on OKCThunderWire. Follow us on Facebook!
