GLIAC Men's BasketballMar 17, 2016 by Joe Battaglia
Stop Saying Oklahoma City Can Stop Golden State
Stop Saying Oklahoma City Can Stop Golden State
If the Thunder haven't shown the qualities necessary to take down the Warriors thus far, what makes anyone believe that they can do it come playoff time?
By Mo Mooncey
Having a top-five player on your roster is a dream for any NBA general manager. Scoring two at the same time is as common as lightning striking twice.
For Oklahoma City Thunder GM Sam Presti these dreams are a reality. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are generational talents, two of the best scorers in the world, fearless competitors, and generally regarded around The Association as unstoppable offensive players.
It would be natural to assume that a team boasting two such forces would be competing for a championship year-in-year-out, and this may be why some have started to suggest that it could be the Thunder who can put an end to Golden State's yearlong reign of supremacy.
Unfortunately for Presti, despite having two of the most dangerous tools a team could wish for, the makeup and chemistry on the Thunder place them a step below the league's elite teams like the Warriors, Cavaliers and Spurs.
Let's start with the Thunder's stars.
One of the downsides of being blessed with immense talent is the egotistical nature that it may bring forth, and Westbrook is a prime example of this. Far too often, if the opposing team's point guard is their star player, he takes it upon himself to personally outduel his opponent. Rather than running the offense, his game becomes aggressive and out of control.
The overreliance on Westbrook and Durant throughout the game also tires them out leaving the Thunder prone to late-game meltdowns.
The Thunder now have an NBA-leading 12 losses this year when holding the lead entering the final period of play. They're scoring just 0.966 points per possession in the fourth quarter since the All-Star break, which ranks 29th in the NBA. Over that same span, Westbrook is shooting just 28.1% in fourth quarters and overtimes.
But it the Thunder's problems shouldn't fall solely at the feet of Westbrook and Durant. The team's lack of a quality supporting cast has been equally responsible for OKC's inability to match the NBA's elite.
Watching the Thunder play is almost as frustrating for the viewer as it is for the OKC role players. Too often the team's offense is stagnant, relying on isolation plays for Durant or Westbrook. That's a far cry from the free-flowing ball movement employed by the Spurs and Warriors.
The Thunder's assist ratio (the percentage of a team's possessions that ends in an assist) is 16.2, in the bottom half of the league, whilst San Antonio and Golden State boast percentages of 19.1 and 20.5 respectively to lead the league.
Perhaps the reason for the ball not being shared is the lack of depth in talent that surrounds Durant and Westbrook.
Serge Ibaka is an elite defensive force who, a few seasons ago, showed extreme promise. However, he no longer looks hungry for success and hiss offensive improvement has plateaued.
Ibaka's shortcomings led Oklahoma City to ink big man Enes Kanter to a max contract. Kanter, unlike Ibaka, flourishes when scoring the basketball. The problem is that, unlike Ibaka, he is a doormat defensively. Kanter is a liability that a true championship team could not rely on for 20+ minutes per game, let alone pay $17.5 million a season for.
If giving Kanter a max deal was a bad idea, the acquisition of Dion Waiters from the Cleveland Cavaliers is simply mind-boggling. Waiters is a guard who has similar proficiencies to Kanter, but is significantly less efficient offensively.
The Thunder's bad roster moves don't end there either. At the most recent trade deadline, they picked up journeyman Randy Foye; a player almost identical to Waiters. Both are inefficient scorers who shoot 39.6% (Waiters) and 35.1% (Foye) from the field, are awful at attacking the basket, and are subpar facilitators. Defensively they both allow opponents to shoot 48% FG against them.
Essentially, Oklahoma City's lack of depth and fourth-quarter poise has been exposed in the team's three losses to Steph Curry and the Warriors this season.
If the Thunder haven't shown the qualities necessary to take down the best team in the NBA thus far, what makes anyone believe that they can do it come playoff time?
Follow @TheHoopGenius on twitter for more NBA news, views, and updates.
Having a top-five player on your roster is a dream for any NBA general manager. Scoring two at the same time is as common as lightning striking twice.
For Oklahoma City Thunder GM Sam Presti these dreams are a reality. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are generational talents, two of the best scorers in the world, fearless competitors, and generally regarded around The Association as unstoppable offensive players.
It would be natural to assume that a team boasting two such forces would be competing for a championship year-in-year-out, and this may be why some have started to suggest that it could be the Thunder who can put an end to Golden State's yearlong reign of supremacy.
Unfortunately for Presti, despite having two of the most dangerous tools a team could wish for, the makeup and chemistry on the Thunder place them a step below the league's elite teams like the Warriors, Cavaliers and Spurs.
Let's start with the Thunder's stars.
One of the downsides of being blessed with immense talent is the egotistical nature that it may bring forth, and Westbrook is a prime example of this. Far too often, if the opposing team's point guard is their star player, he takes it upon himself to personally outduel his opponent. Rather than running the offense, his game becomes aggressive and out of control.
The overreliance on Westbrook and Durant throughout the game also tires them out leaving the Thunder prone to late-game meltdowns.
The Thunder now have an NBA-leading 12 losses this year when holding the lead entering the final period of play. They're scoring just 0.966 points per possession in the fourth quarter since the All-Star break, which ranks 29th in the NBA. Over that same span, Westbrook is shooting just 28.1% in fourth quarters and overtimes.
But it the Thunder's problems shouldn't fall solely at the feet of Westbrook and Durant. The team's lack of a quality supporting cast has been equally responsible for OKC's inability to match the NBA's elite.
Watching the Thunder play is almost as frustrating for the viewer as it is for the OKC role players. Too often the team's offense is stagnant, relying on isolation plays for Durant or Westbrook. That's a far cry from the free-flowing ball movement employed by the Spurs and Warriors.
The Thunder's assist ratio (the percentage of a team's possessions that ends in an assist) is 16.2, in the bottom half of the league, whilst San Antonio and Golden State boast percentages of 19.1 and 20.5 respectively to lead the league.
Perhaps the reason for the ball not being shared is the lack of depth in talent that surrounds Durant and Westbrook.
Serge Ibaka is an elite defensive force who, a few seasons ago, showed extreme promise. However, he no longer looks hungry for success and hiss offensive improvement has plateaued.
Ibaka's shortcomings led Oklahoma City to ink big man Enes Kanter to a max contract. Kanter, unlike Ibaka, flourishes when scoring the basketball. The problem is that, unlike Ibaka, he is a doormat defensively. Kanter is a liability that a true championship team could not rely on for 20+ minutes per game, let alone pay $17.5 million a season for.
If giving Kanter a max deal was a bad idea, the acquisition of Dion Waiters from the Cleveland Cavaliers is simply mind-boggling. Waiters is a guard who has similar proficiencies to Kanter, but is significantly less efficient offensively.
The Thunder's bad roster moves don't end there either. At the most recent trade deadline, they picked up journeyman Randy Foye; a player almost identical to Waiters. Both are inefficient scorers who shoot 39.6% (Waiters) and 35.1% (Foye) from the field, are awful at attacking the basket, and are subpar facilitators. Defensively they both allow opponents to shoot 48% FG against them.
Essentially, Oklahoma City's lack of depth and fourth-quarter poise has been exposed in the team's three losses to Steph Curry and the Warriors this season.
If the Thunder haven't shown the qualities necessary to take down the best team in the NBA thus far, what makes anyone believe that they can do it come playoff time?
Follow @TheHoopGenius on twitter for more NBA news, views, and updates.