5 Adjustments OKC Thunder Need to Make For Game 2
By Gideon Lim
2. Tactics
This one looks specifically at the problem with the Thunder’s pick-and-roll coverage. The policy so far has been to switch fairly liberally on screens in order to avoid giving the likes of Lou Williams and James Harden any daylight to shoot.
The problem with that is that the Thunder don’t have the personnel to do that, yet. Every time Kanter or Adams gets switched out onto the perimeter, Houston’s offense simplifies immediately. It becomes a straightforward iso and drive-and-kick opportunity that leaves the defense scrambling.
The question for Donovan is, should the Thunder still be doing this? If so, with what line-ups, and against what line-ups?
Last Year’s Model
Last year, the Thunder played against the Warriors, another team filled with floor spacers. The Thunder rolled out its own line-up of death that featured rangy bigs who excelled at perimeter defense. The result was splendid – the Thunder essentially cracked the one code none of the NBA could, which was to counter versatility with more versatility, and outrun the Warriors.
Looking at the Thunder’s roster now, if the Thunder want to replicate this sort of the line-up, they must turn to Jerami Grant. He alone holds the length and athleticism to challenge shots at the rim while still being able to cover pick-and-rolls.
This partially goes back to the earlier issue of figuring out the rotation, but it is more than that. If the Thunder want to stay in the series, it will require a tighter defensive strategy, small line-ups or not.. If not, Harden will have a field day either isolating on unfortunate big men or drawing them out far enough to throw lobs to Capela.