Thunderous Thoughts: Wrapping up the preseason
Welcome to Thunderous Thoughts, your weekly look at the OKC Thunder where the regular season is just one week away.
The preseason is over for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Normally, I wouldn’t put much stock into four preseason games, but this year is slightly different given the roster overhaul from last year. The 3-1 record achieved by the OKC Thunder becomes meaningless this time next week, but what we saw in these four games is worth talking about.
*Russell Westbrook is just fine. In fact, I’d say that he increased the demand for PRP injections across the country.
*Billy Donovan used both Carmelo Anthony and Paul George as the second-unit star at various points. George looked better equipped to handle the second-unit, which wasn’t too surprising to me. PG13 is a more willing passer and mover off the ball than Anthony, who was often criticized for stopping the ball in New York. The second-unit it going to feature a mixture of Alex Abrines, Pat Patterson, Raymond Felton, and Jerami Grant with a strong chance that Terrance Ferguson and Josh Huestis earn playing time.
Those guys need a leader on the floor to put them in the best position possible, George showed in Indiana that he can lead a group of specialists, role players, and athletes. Anthony rarely showed it in New York.
The final preseason game against Denver was very telling. Donovan left George on the floor with Ferguson, Huestis, Grant, and Daniel Hamilton as Denver mounted a comeback. The Nuggets got the lead, which was 69-57 when that group got on the floor together, down to one. However, Denver never led, and OKC went up 94-82 before George sat.
Donovan is going to try a million different lineups throughout the season, but his best move is to go with George as the second-unit leader.
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*We should keep in mind that Patterson didn’t play the entire preseason and Abrines and Felton were limited with injuries. If everyone is healthy, those are the first three guys off the bench for OKC. Patterson in particular will be a huge addition to any lineup he’s on the floor with.
*And that’s largely due to rebounding. The Thunder didn’t rebound well, particularly on the offensive end, through the preseason. The Nuggets had 12 offensive rebounds, Melbourne had 16. Size is the definite issue for the Thunder. Steven Adams was the only legitimate big for the OKC Thunder in the preseason. Roberson, Grant and Huestis are all undersize four or fives. Patterson will help with the size issue, but the team still lacks a legit back-up center.
The hope is that it’s preseason and fighting for rebounds is a waste of energy,. Westbrook, the best rebounding guard in the league, had seven rebounds in three games. In the regular season, he’ll pick up more boards simply through effort. It’s a fair point, but size is a concern moving into the regular season.
*The defense is going to trouble a lot of teams. Adams looks much more comfortable not having to cover for rookie mistakes. The defensive IQ of Roberson and George can’t be understated. And Westbrook is going to get his share of gamble steals. When everyone is locked in, this team has the ability to shut down most teams and then run in transition.
The transition is important because they can beat you in a variety of ways. Anyone can go to the basket and finish strong, but Westbrook, George, and Anthony can knock down jumps anywhere on the court. Except to see a lot of defense to offense transitions from the Thunder this year.
*Ferguson reminds me of Dunk Legend Dennis Jones Jr. He’s a torso, but he’s lengthy and athletic. Jones Jr. frustrated Westbrook in the two team’s final matchup last year with his intensity. Like Jones Ferguson is clearly raw, but he knows how to use his length and athleticism to his advantage. Ferguson could earn a good amount of playing time by simply using his physical tools.
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*OKC is so deep this year that we should never have to meaningfully utter the names Kyle Singler and Semaj Christon. If we do, a million things went wrong.
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*Donovan doesn’t get enough credit for how good his offensive schemes are. OKC won’t kill you with ball movement like the Golden State Warriors, but it’s good players doing simple things to get the best shots. Remember, OKC had a 113 offensive rating in Donovan’s first year, second only to the Warriors. That number would put OKC 35th all-time.
Donovan’s offense isn’t complicated. He knows how to maximize the group he has, putting them in the best position to score. People will probably criticize OKC for not whipping the ball around like the Warriors or peak San Antonio Spurs. But I’d be shocked if OKC didn’t have an efficient offense that finishes top three in the league to go along with a top 5 defense.
*Huestis is going to push Grant for that small ball four position. He’s a better on-ball defender and a more comfortable shooter. If his awareness on both ends catches up, he becomes the better player.
*This team is going to fun and overwhelming against most the league.