With only three games this week, the OKC Thunder were either going to push over the .500 mark or continue to sit out of the playoff race.
The Oklahoma City Thunder had a lite fourth week of the season, only playing in three games. With no possibility of them splitting games this week, they were either going to be satisfied or frustrated. Fortunately for the Thunder the week started well. They took on the Chicago Bulls and had a resounding 92-79 victory.
From there the week went downhill. The Thunder lost a close one against the San Antonio Spurs 104-101 before rounding out the week with another blown lead against the New Orleans Pelicans 114-107. (Note, the week is since the last time Donovan’s Dishes was published).
This last loss was especially hard to take as DeMarcus Cousins was ejected for a Flagrant 2 after elbowing Russell Westbrook in the head.
How did Billy Donovan respond to the week? Take a look at the following dishes. Our first dish comes from OKC Thunder beat writer Erik Horne.
Billy Donovan on Jerami Grant’s improved discipline on defense since coming to OKC: “Absolutely. No question. He’s really gotten better in a lot of different areas.” Says Grant has embraced playing the unconventional five-spot.
— Erik Horne (@ErikkHorne) November 16, 2017
Jerami Grant is playing inspired basketball. He has been the spark off the bench this season. His defense has been crucial at the rim. It is Grant’s fourth year in the league and this season he has taken an impressive step, especially on defense. He and Dakari Johnson filled in admirably for Steven Adams during his absence.
Good to bad
Our second dish is also partially Grant inspired. Even though he is coming off the bench, at the time of the interview, Grant had taken the third most charges in the entire of the NBA. A big part of this is that his read of the game is improving. The 23-year old has a really good decision making process of whether to stay on the floor or get airborne for the block.
Thunder Talk: Coach Donovan - 11/16 https://t.co/jpNCbafnXb via @okcthunder
— Mervsports (@mervsports78) November 21, 2017
However, this season when there is an up, there is invariably a down. The OKC Thunder have given up large leads. After being up by more than 20 against the Spurs, they went on to lose the game. Everyone knew the Spurs were going to fight back – they are the Spurs.
In this league, these athletes will be fired up at the start of the second half. The team needs to stay crisp on both offense and defense.
Bad to worse
The final dish is from the Pelicans pre-game interview with coach Donovan. When taking on the New Orleans Pelicans, it is always wise to talk about protecting the deep paint. Any team with Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins will be very strong down low.
Unfortunately the OKC Thunder were beaten on the boards against a smaller Spurs team. Against these two giants, they could have been totally dominated.
Game Day: Coach Donovan - 11/20 https://t.co/8bd25LguNl via @okcthunder
— Mervsports (@mervsports78) November 21, 2017
Unfortunately, it was the outside shot which killed the OKC Thunder in this game. It will be very interesting to see how Billy Donovan responds to the latest challenge thrown his way.
Stay tuned next week for more of Donovan’s Dishes. With the next game coming up against the Golden State Warriors, the entire league will be watching.
NEXT STORY: Don’t start blaming Billy Donovan just yet