Jeremy Lamb has to step up with Kevin Durant out

By Evan Massey | Oct 13, 2014

Apr 6, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jeremy Lamb (11) against the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Thunder 122-115. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

Oklahoma City needs Jeremy Lamb to step up with Kevin Durant out.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are entering a very uncertain season now that Kevin Durant has suffered a serious injury and will miss a good chunk of the seasons start. Obviously Russell Westbrook will be asked to handle a larger scoring load with the injury, but Jeremy Lamb is also going to have to step up in a big way with Durant out of the picture. He has the potential to be a very solid scorer, but he needs to improve his consistency before he gets to that level.

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Lamb ended up playing in 78 regular season games last season, all of them coming off of the bench. He averaged 8.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game, and shot 43.2 percent from the floor overall and 35.6 percent from downtown. There is no doubt that he can shoot at a high level, but the confidence and consistency has been his issue so far.

It’s likely that Lamb will be stepping into the starting lineup at the start of the season, and his role will be much more important. He has the shooting ability to stretch out defenses and the athleticism to get to the rim and finish. The Thunder are going to be putting the basketball in his hands quite often this season, and he will need to step up as Westbrook’s back-court running mate.

Obviously the Thunder are going to be depending on quite a few players to come through for them this season. Durant will likely be back at some point during the year, but the injury that he has was the same injury that ended Yao Ming’s career. That is definitely enough to worry the Thunder about the future of their superstar, but they will pass that bridge when it comes.

This season is a make or break year for Lamb, and he will have every chance to prove his worth. He has looked good so far in preseason action, and needs to transfer that over to regular season game. Oklahoma City needs Lamb to come through in a big way for them this year, especially if Durant misses more time with his injury.

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