OKC Thunder: Five Stats to Explain Their .500 Record
By Tony Heim
1. 21.4 Assists Per Game
This number isn’t that bad, until you factor in that half of those are coming from one player. The Thunder rank 18th in the NBA in assists per game; this stat doesn’t have a direct correlation to wins but for this team it is key.
Besides Russell Westbrook, the Thunder don’t have any perimeter plays who can create shots for themselves. Enes Kanter is a solid post presence, but other than that every other guy relies on the help of someone else to get open.
The low number in assists is directly affected by Russ’ high usage rate. I can’t stress enough what an increase in off-ball movement would do for this team. Instead of parking shooters like Alex Abrines and Anthony Morrow in the corner, Donovan should have them running off screens for example.
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There is a reason why the LA Lakers have gotten exponentially better since Luke Walton took the helm. Coming from the Warriors system, Walton preaches unselfishness and it has resulted in 4 more assists (and a lot more wins) to start the season.
The emphasis cannot be on getting Russell Westbrook the ball. It’s much easier to defend a man dribbling on top of the key than a team who swings it around the perimeter.
Friday night the Thunder return to action in their first matchup with the division rival Denver Nuggets. Look for these stats at the end of the game and compare them to the result. You’ll be surprised how important they are…