Thunderous Intentions
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Preview: Thunder host new-look Cavaliers to end short homestand

By Yams

CLEVELAND, OH - JANUARY 20: Carmelo Anthony #7 of the OKC Thunder handles the ball against JR Smith #5 of the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 20, 2018 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - JANUARY 20: Carmelo Anthony #7 of the OKC Thunder handles the ball against JR Smith #5 of the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 20, 2018 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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OKC Thunder
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – FEBRUARY 11: Dillon Brooks #24 of the Memphis Grizzlies handles the ball against the OKC Thunder on February 11, 2018 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images) /

The Keys to Success

Stop LeBron

Even at age 33, LeBron James remains the best player in the NBA. His physical and dynamic play make him one of the hardest players to stop. A lot of that is due to his insane combination of size, skill and basketball IQ.

With the addition of Rodney Hood, George Hill, and Jordan Clarkson, LeBron now has even more options on the perimeter. The Thunder cannot solely focus on him because that means he’ll pass out to a wide open shooter.

But he, like all NBA players, is human and can be stopped. This is where Paul George comes in.

Paul George has been one of the best perimeter defenders this season, if not the very best. His defense has lead him to become a leading candidate to win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award.

Related Story: Paul George's chances of re-signing are increasing

If he manages to limit LeBron’s impact, it’ll definitely be a serious boost to his DPOY case.

Crash the glass

Cleveland is 22th in the NBA in rebounds per game with 41.7 boards a game. The Thunder are 5th on the other hand. Oklahoma City also boasts a 52.0 REB% while the Cavaliers have a measly 48.6 REB%. Nothing is a given in the NBA – the Thunder can’t just assume they’ll get every rebound.

OKC has been out-rebounded in their last three games and need to use this game to get back on track. Not having Russell Westbrook and Melo the past two games has certainly played a major role in the Thunder getting dominating on the boards. Hopefully their return (assuming that occurs) marks a change in their recent struggles.

Feed Steven Adams

If the first Thunder-Cavaliers game is anything to go by, feeding Steven Adams the rock is a great idea. He scored 25 points on 12/13 shooting from the field and grabbed 10 boards. Thus far Adams has had a fantastic season, averaging 13.8 PPG and 9.0 RPG (5.2 of which are offensive rebounds).

When Adams is scoring the Thunder are hard to stop. OKC is 19-9 when Adams scores 13 points or more but ony 9-15 when he scores 12 or fewer points.

If the Thunder utilize Steven Adams often enough properly, Cleveland will definitely be in for a tough time.

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