Billy Donovan's moves mean more than he lets on. The Thunder coach likes to say a tweak or a rotation change is about a specific matchup. It’s often more, a not-so-subtle foreshawdowing of what’s needed by his team beyond just one night.
It’s Jerami Grant taking over for Patrick Patterson four games into the season. It’s Raymond Felton being reinserted into the rotation with a week to go before the playoffs.
These aren’t accidental occurrences, nor are they indictments of a specific player. It’s Donovan’s way of jolting the nervous system of a team that too often goes into stasis on both ends.