OKC Thunder bench boss Billy Donovan expressed disappointment in OKC’s fourth quarter lapses. But, are his substitutions the key reason they occurred?
The OKC Thunder production in late game situations thus far has been less than ideal, but who is to blame?
Following the 117-110 win over the Phoenix Suns, Thunder head coach Billy Donovan expressed his displeasure with the late game effort. Donovan was disturbed witnessing a 26 point lead rapidly disappear. In spite of the defensive lapses however, he was happy to earn the squad’s first win of the season.
It’s interesting how Donovan only expressed concern after this game. The same thing occurred in the losses to the LA Clippers, Sacramento Kings, and Boston Celtics. At issue, was the lack of productivity which can mainly be attributed to a few things:
- Poor shooting
- Lack of defensive intensity
- And, most importantly, questionable coaching.
Through their initial six games OKC shot 43 percent; well below the league average of 45.9 percent. Moreover, the OKC’s perimeter efficiency was an anemic 30 percent (NBA average 36.5 percent).
The situation on defense was equally troubling as opponents outscored the Thunder 180-144 in the fourth quarters.
#Thunder coach Billy Donovan says he was "disturbed" his players allowed a 26pt lead to mostly melt away late. But happy for the win. pic.twitter.com/tuITufNIxU
— Randy Renner (@RandyRenner) October 29, 2018
While OKC’s play has definitely been shoddy in the fourth quarter this year, the blame can’t be set fully on the players. Billy Donovan has made some controversial calls down the stretch, which resulted in a momentum change not in favor of the OKC Thunder.
For example, after OKC blew a 14 point lead in the third quarter against the Celtics, Patrick Patterson and Hamidou Diallo led a momentum shift sparked by pulling down timely and hitting big shots.
In the middle of this offensive jolt Billy Donovan inexplicably decided to make the bold decision to sub them both out. The result? An 18-9 run by Boston handing the OKC Thunder their fourth consecutive loss.
Despite starting the season 0-4, Westbrook (who didn’t play in the first two games) decided to take responsibility for the poor start, citing confidence in his teammate’s abilities to start making shots and his own.
Westbrook left the media with a few words of hope for Thunder fans, “We will be okay and I will make sure of that”. After a solid outing versus the Clippers, OKC finally has momentum on their side as they search for their first 3-game winning streak of the 2018-2019 season.