Thunder are using the last few days of offseason perfectly
By Tony Heim
Unparalleled team chemistry is the only way the OKC Thunder can compete for an NBA title this season. The good news is they’ve already started working on it.
The pre-Kevin Durant Golden State Warriors weren’t historically great because they had more talent than anybody else. Yes, they had more skill than any team at the time. But their success truly stemmed from superior team chemistry. That’s what the Oklahoma City Thunder are trying to replicate this season.
Oklahoma City has a roster built specifically for the Warriors. They have two elite wing defenders in Andre Roberson and Paul George, three floor spacers in Alex Abrines, Patrick Patterson and Doug McDermott and paint protectors/scorers in Steven Adams and Enes Kanter. Oh and the League MVP.
The recipe for success is simple. On defense, limit Golden State’s open opportunities on the perimeter while finding a way to keep Adams/Kanter on the floor. On offense, run a system through George and Westbrook where isolation plays are near non-existent and off-ball/on-ball screens are maximized. The concept is simple – the actual product is not.
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For the Thunder to truly contend with Golden State they must maximize their efficiency as a team. They’re not going to beat the defending champs because of Westbrook and George’s brilliance; it’s going to take increased efforts from Roberson, Adams and the rest of the role players.
That’s what makes these last few days of the offseason so important.
This team needs to become a family before the season starts. If everything, and I mean everything breaks in their favor, the Thunder have a chance to do something special this season. But they have to be committed from Day One to fulfill their potential.
The good news is they’re doing just that. Most of the guys have been back in Oklahoma City for at least a week, getting in daily training sessions together. Doug McDermott provided a little insight to Nick Gallo on what those have been like:
"“It’s been really competitive. We’ve matched the teams up and played an hour continuously the past few weeks,” McDermott said. “We’re all kind of going through some of the sets Coach Donovan had us run last year to make it more game-like.”"
It’s not abnormal for team to do this prior to training camp. What is abnormal is what happens after these practices. Instead of breaking apart, a lot of them stay together for some sort of community outreach program. Just this past week players went to multiple schools, the Oklahoma State Fair and the Oklahoma City zoo. Nothing topped Daniel Hamilton and Semaj Christon’s visit to the Brookdale Retirement Home though.
This is where teams become great. Off-the-court relationships are just as important for basketball teams as on-court chemistry. Look at this past Finals – Kyrie was not happy and the Cavaliers chemistry suffered because of it. It’s why San Antonio stays relevant post-Tim Duncan. Close-knit teams succeed in the NBA.
Oklahoma City is on the right track. Players are saying the right things. We’re not even at training camp and this team seems set on making history. It’s going to be difficult, but the early stages are promising.
We have hope. That’s all we can ask for.