OKC Thunder In the news – The litmus test week
OKC Thunder In the news for November 20 focusing on the growing concern over the OK3 fit and week ahead with major tests.
Overall last week was a positive with a mini win streak punctuating the highs. However, with highs unfortunately come lows and that would easily be the loss in San Antonio. Every clutch time loss the Thunder suffer only adds fuel to the growing concern about the squads inability to function in the half court or crunch time.
Everyone will have a view on what the precise timelines should be for a reasonable time frame. Personally, my thinking is the squad needs to get between 20 and 25 games of experience to build a rapport. This week, the OKC Thunder will play four games against the Pelicans (16), Warriors (17), Pistons (18) and Mavericks (19). Clearly two of these games will serve as an early litmus test (not to mention one grudge match).
Pundits weigh in on OKC Thunder pecking order:
Some former players are weighing in on precisely what has to happen with the OK3 to be successful. Specifically Charles Barkley and Jalen Rose opine the onus is on Russell Westbrook to take charge. Bruce Jenkins of The San Francisco Chronicle outlines the former stars thoughts.
"For those following Oklahoma City’s attempt to blend three great scorers into a fluid machine, a popular theory has emerged. “You’ve got to have one dominant personality,” Charles Barkley said on TNT. “There has to be a pecking order and nothing will change for the better,” said ESPN’s Jalen Rose, “until Russell Westbrook declares he’s gonna be ‘the guy.’”It’s easy to fall into this trap. So many championship teams were guided by larger-than-life personalities: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Rick Barry, Michael Jordan, Isiah Thomas, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, LeBron James. But it’s a big mistake to declare this some sort of requirement."
Is this fair to Westbrook?
This may not be the popular opinion, but it seem like the worst thing Westbrook could do is say “it’s my way or the highway“. It make sense he’ll read the defenses and determine the best shot opportunity. But, to say he has to tell George and Anthony ‘I’m the guy’ would be to presume his ego needs that sort of fueling.
Fans of the OKC Thunder know Westbrook is more team oriented than that. Reflecting back to the summer of KD’s departure. The infamous dinner conversation revolved around Westbrook asking Durant what he (KD) needed to be better and what Russ could do to help that happen. From my perspective it’s more important the trio are on the same page. Specifically regarding doing what needs to be done on a game by game situation.
I’m waiting for the game where one or two of the trio play the possum role. This, to throw off the opponent and leave the third option with a wide open shot. Again, it comes down to reading the game situation and organically letting the game flow in that direction.
Not to sound like a broken record – but the first time the OK3 have success in a clutch situation utilizing this method suddenly the pressure will be lifted and they’ll naturally know they have solved their greatest obstacle. Sure would be great if that specific situation occurs this coming Wednesday.
One Pelican won’t be grounded:
There were concerns Anthony Davis couldn’t go tonight after leaving the Denver game with what was later determined a concussion. Davis has suffered concussions on three previous occasions so New Orleans were always going to exercise on the side of caution. USA Today notes Davis apparently has passed the protocol and should be a go this evening for the match with the OKC Thunder.
"The New Orleans Pelicans say forward Anthony Davis has been cleared from the NBA’s concussion protocol and is probable for Monday night’s home game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Pelicans say Davis was diagnosed with a facial bruise near his right eye after taking a blow from the back of Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic’s head during a 146-114 loss in Denver on Friday night."
OKC Thunder Big Man Depth:
More from Thunderous Intentions
- Stealing one player from every Southwest Division team for the OKC Thunder
- Should the OKC Thunder chase after a disgruntled hometown hero?
- 3 OKC Thunder players who can step up in Aleksej Pokusevski’s absence
- Aleksej Pokusevski sidelined approximately 6 weeks with ankle injury
- Damian Lillard does not fit with the OKC Thunder
The Thunderous Intentions team clearly see one obstacle which hasn’t gone away – the lack of depth in the front court. Patrick Patterson will come around (historically this happens in December). Yet, even then he isn’t going to resolve the rebounding issues based on his historical production.
Rather, Sam Presti needs to pull out the infamous magician hat and add one more player along the ilk of Enes Kanter. A big who can offer scoring, passing from the post and most importantly rebounding. OKC need to both stop opponent second chance opportunities and increase their own.. It’s been a staple of OKC for years and they need to find the one player who’ll add that asset.
Next: Greg Monroe is missing puzzle piece
Three Big Men OKC Thunder should consider:
This weekend two TI scribes dove into players they thought could offer this missing component. Cale Michael looked at Jahlil Okafor and Julius Randle. The intriguing choice however comes from Lawrence George who opines Greg Monroe could be the missing puzzle piece.
"Monroe is a load on the block. At 6’11, 265 pounds, he relies heavily on savvy footwork and sheer size to score inside. A traditional back to the basket player, the market for Monroe’s skill set has nose dived in favor of stretch bigs. However, with ‘space and pace’ comes mismatches inside. If jumpers aren’t falling for opposing offenses, his value inside increases 10-fold."
That wraps up in the news for November 20. Here’s wishing you a great start to your week. Make sure to stop by Thunderous Intentions as we prep you for game night.