Thunder look to build on momentum when Detroit comes to town
By Tony Heim
Three matchups to watch
Russell Westbrook vs. Avery Bradley
Russell Westbrook and Reggie Jackson are listed as the starting point guards, yet they will have minimal interaction guarding each other. That’s because the Pistons have one of the best perimeter defenders in the league in Avery Bradley. The 26-year old has built his basketball brand around his ability to stop most guards’ penetration – he failed to contain Westbrook one iota in their two matchups last season.
Although Bradley is the leading scorer between the Pistons’ two guards, Andre Roberson will likely be tasked with slowing down their main creator in Jackson. That doesn’t mean Westbrook will get to relax on defense for the night. Bradley is shooting over 44% from deep to start the season, meaning those infamous times Russ stays in the paint to grab a rebound simply can’t happen.
If Russ does struggle on offense don’t be surprised if Paul George takes over as the Thunder’s focal point. If he plays anything like he did against Bradley/Boston last season, however, that shouldn’t be an issue.
Steven Adams vs. Andre Drummond
The starting center battle is much more cut and dry: which seven-footer is going to establish their dominance on Friday night? Adams’ counting stats may not come close to Drummond’s league-leading 15.3 rebounds per game and that’s okay.
The Thunder and Pistons utilize their big men in different ways. While Drummond is tasked with bringing in most rebounds Adams’ main job is to clear space for his guards/forwards to grab the ball and push the pace. The centers are two of the most defensively active at their position – they both average around 1.5 steals and 1.2 blocks per game.
Neither will take a game over on offense, but who makes a bigger impact on the other end will do a great deal in determining which team comes out with the victory.
Billy Donovan vs. Stan Van Gundy
Billy D is coming off his best-coached game of the season. Is he going to respond by playing a similar rotation that included the Big Kiwi playing extensive time with the second-unit? Or is he going to continue with his early-season experimentation? The Thunder should be able to play with/beat the Pistons no matter how Donovan decides to coach this game, but one small misstep from him could lead to another loss.
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On the other side is a coach who has had three full days to prepare for this game. Stan Van has made the conscious effort to play smaller this season and spread the ball around the perimeter, a move that has worked early on. But when he watched Thunder tape over the last three days he saw a team that’s struggled immensely with size. How much Van Gundy deviates from his typical rotation could spell trouble for Oklahoma City. It all will depend on how much the veteran coach trusts the much-neglected Boban Marjanovic.