Utah Jazz: Pros and cons of the first-round series against OKC

BOSTON, MA – MARCH 20: Corey Brewer #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder looks on during a game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on March 20, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***

Corey Brewer is hurting

After Andre Roberson went down, the Thunder were in desperate need of an additional perimeter defender. They found the perfect candidate when they signed veteran Corey Brewer to their squad.

However, in the final game of the regular season, Brewer went down with a potentially serious knee injury that forced him to leave the game early and was eventually described as a knee sprain.

This could have been a much bigger blow to the Thunder, but it appears they dodged a major bullet as Brewer doesn’t plan to miss any time. It was announced Thursday that he plans to play in Game 1 on Sunday.

Sources: Oklahoma City guard Corey Brewer will receive treatment on sprained knee over next few days and plans to play in Game 1 of the playoffs against Utah on Sunday.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 12, 2018

Corey Brewer has become a surprisingly key piece of OKC, so this is a bullet dodged for them. https://t.co/QaW8MvgEzE
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) April 12, 2018

If Brewer wasn’t going to be in action, it would have been a big plus for the Jazz as he provides the Thunder with yet another solid perimeter defender that can slow down Mitchell and Utah’s other wings. However, the fact that he’s laboring and likely won’t be at 100 percent could still be a slight advantage for the Jazz.

If the Jazz are able to capitalize on a less than healthy Brewer, it could help them have a major edge against a Thunder defense that has deflated significantly since Roberson went down.