OKC Thunder brass continue to do their fan base and players a disservice
By Alex Mcewen
The OKC Thunder retooled this summer and were poised for a bounce-back season. However, they sit 0-3 largely due to the brass of the organization.
Prior to the conference finals beginning, I penned a piece regarding the disservice the OKC Thunder front office is doing to Russell Westbrook. Now, the disservice includes Paul George and Steven Adams. OKC’s core players have been loyal to the franchise, yet the organization has not rewarded them with a winning environment.
The off-court culture Oklahoma City has created is one of the best environments in the entire NBA. However, the on-court philosophy does not meet the same standard as the rest of OKC’s culture.
Sam Presti is at the head of the Thunder’s ship, 11 years into his tenure in Oklahoma City it’s all about taking the good with the bad in regards to Presti. The question is, at this point do Presti’s flaws outweigh his strengths?
It is widely documented Sam Presti and head coach Billy Donovan are on the same page when it comes to how the offense should be run. The problem with that is Oklahoma City is not currently running a sound offensive system. In fact, it’s hard to recognize any semblance of an offense when observing the OKC Thunder.
Presti and Donovan use analytics when determining how the Thunder should play. One advanced number Presti is particularly found of concerns the 3-point shot. Analytics reveal, shooting 33.3 percent from beyond the arc is the equivalent to shooting, 50.0 percent from two-point territory.
The flaw with this philosophy is the Thunder currently only have two players, Hamidou Diallo and Deonte Burton, shooting 33 percent or above from three. Moreover, both players have each attempted two 3-point shots each. Not a fair sample size, also not enough to justify the philosophy Presti’s Thunder employ.
Through three games Oklahoma City has attempted 109 threes, the fifth most among teams to play three or fewer games. Their 3-point percentage is by far the worst in the NBA overall at 23.9 percent. Viewing only the Thunder’s wide-open 3-point attempts, their shooting percentage is worse, clocking in at an abysmal 22.8 percent.
The Thunder’s wide-open 2-point shooting is not much better, 25.0 percent. Also alarming there are currently 20 teams shooting 50 percent or better on wide-open 2-point shots, including 11 teams shooting 70 percent or better on field goals.
*Stats provided by NBA.com/stats as of Tuesday afternoon.
The onus for Oklahoma City’s atrocious 3-point shooting does not fall on a single individual, the players deserve some blame themselves, but that is an argument for another day. The two people most at fault for the Thunder’s putrid shooting are Presti and Donovan.
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Presti is at fault because he constructed a roster full of substandard shooters, who are expected to shoot. And, Donovan did not instill an offense to put OKC’s poor three-point shooters in better positions.
A general managers job is to build a competitive roster, the head coaches job is to maximize the players provided to him. As of today, Presti and Donovan are under performing at their jobs thus far in the season.
In closing, things will not get better for Oklahoma City until there is a change at the top, it should begin with Donovan if that does not work perhaps it is time for a far more drastic change.
Next. Top 10 Thunder playoff games – Reminiscing the good times. dark
Regardless of the direction the Thunder ultimately decides to sail their ship, they should proceed with caution because the water has been rocky so far this season, and it will not take much more to sink the entire SS OKC Thunder.