Thunder news: seeking consistency, buyouts, and full 48 Russ defense
In the news for Sunday February 11 features a few solid OKC Thunder articles from our very own writing team.
With the All-Star break just a few games away the emphasis for the OKC Thunder is getting to the break healthy. Longer term the OKC Thunder need to start addressing consistency issues. The reason for this is OKC seem to have the least issues with top teams.
For those types of games the Thunder are locked in from the beginning straight to the ne do the match. But, facing lesser opponents the Thunder tend to either come out flat or fall into periods of malaise.
OKC Thunder need to work on consistency
Jenni Carlson of NewsOK looks at the issues of constancy making important observations. As Carlson points out. Based on where the team finishes they might not even have the opportunity to meet the Warriors until the third round which means they’ll need to string together solid focused constancy.
"And yet, there’s reason to wonder if the Thunder will survive long enough to face the Warriors in the playoffs. These two teams won’t be a first-round match-up. Might not even be a second-round one. And at this point, we have to question whether the Thunder will be able to string together enough good basketball to survive very long.With the exception of a lone two-week stretch in which the Thunder won eight in a row, this season has been bereft of continuity. From winning streak to losing streak. From hopeful win to ugly loss."
Westbrook 48 minutes of defense:
As the OKC seek to find that consistency in the final games of the season the other area our own Gideon Lim suggests requiring attention is Russell Westbrook’s defense. More specifically, Lim says Westbrook needs to play full 48 mins of defense.
"The two issues here are linked. Oftentimes, Westbrook intentionally conserves energy on defense to maximise his offensive output. But, this dichotomy does not have to exist. Stars like Kyrie Irving and Steph Curry have shown under the right scheme, offensive stalwarts can still thrive on defense.So, the questiom is, what can the Thunder do?"
Top 10 Buyout Candidates for OKC Thunder:
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
Finally, writer Alex Mcewen looks at buyout candidates who the OKC Thunder should consider adding to the roster to increase depth or address weaknesses. She was so solid in her picks one as already signed yesterday. ‘
"The OKC Thunder decided to stand pat at this years trade deadline. The reason why remains unknown. Although there are multiple suggestions why Presti stood pat.The reasons include but are not limited to. The deal the Thunder wanted simply was not available for one reason or another. Asking prices could have been too high. OKC could have been lacking in assets or unwilling to offer assets.For a deeper look at the trade deadline check out TI’s full recap. In a separate article TI examined how despite Presti not making any moves, the deadline could still affect OKC’s future."
That wraps up in the news for Sunday February 11. Hope you enjoyed your weekend and are excited for game day. See the full preview here and follow us on Twitter during the game.