5 Adjustments OKC Thunder Need to Make For Game 2
By Gideon Lim
3. Personnel
This portion is meant for the Thunder’s own Big 3. Thus far, the issues covered look at changes Billy Donovan needs to make. But, the Game 1 loss showed that it also comes down to how the players play.
I’m the biggest defender of Russell Westbrook this season, after all that he has done for the team. But, that’s also why I think responsibility has to start with him – because he is the leader of the squad.
A big reason why the Thunder lost was because Westbrook had a poor shooting night. Worse, he ended up doing the one thing opponents hope he will do – and that is to force bad shots instead of getting his teammates into the groove.
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To be fair to Westbrook, no one else from the team was shooting particularly well, so it was not like he was denying the hot hand. For the first time in what felt like almost the whole season, it was the starters that hurt the team.
As the team’s next two biggest stars, Victor Oladipo and Adams also need to bear responsibility. Adams’ issues were discussed earlier – whether it is a mental issue or a nagging issue, he needs to come back and dominate.
No More Winging It
Oladipo is a slightly simpler issue. He had a putrid shooting night, going 1-12 from the field and 0-6 from downtown. Nothing seemed to be going for him, even against Houston’s non-defensive-minded wings. That needs to change. Even if he can’t be a legitimate shot-creator, he needs to at least make enough shots to offer Westbrook another option.
It was not just his offense that stank against Houston, though. His defense was surprisingly lackadaisical. He was getting beat on one-on-ones and even when he was staying home on his man, they still had enough airspace to make shots.
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This, for me, is the bigger problem. Shots come and go. But defense is the identity of this team. The way the Thunder will win games is by playing suffocating defense, especially in the clutch.
Oladipo needs to realize that the playoffs are the clutch situation itself. It’s the metaphorical last 5 minutes of the game that everything needs to go up one notch. Do that, and the Thunder have two elite stoppers. That will make things difficult for Harden.