OKC Thunder player grades – Paul George and Steven Adams extinguish Suns to claim victory
OKC Thunder Best Reserve
Oklahoma City Thunder. NERLENS NOEL. B. . C
Several players from the bench could’ve garnered this honor, but I elected to give the big man some additional love. He grabbed timely rebounds and made critical swats when the Suns were threatening to get back in the game.
His final stat line was 9 points and 6 rebounds (half defensive/half offensive) in a measly 15 minutes of playing time.
The point of putting Noel in the mix here is more of a reminder to Billy Donovan that he STILL isn’t utilizing Noel as effectively as he could be. Just as Adams demonstrated his adeptness of passing out of the post Noel has also shown a propensity to do well in those circumstances.
Perhaps most annoying is the fact not one of the point guards (save for the few minutes Westbrook played with him earlier this season) has recognized the height advantage and easy lob opportunities that exist between Noel and his point guard. Granted, Felton is allergic to passing, but let’s hope eventually the Thunder point guards discover they could be garnering several assists a night on a simple lob pass to Noel.
Best Opponent
. SF. Phoenix Suns. T.J. WARREN. A+
I have to admit T.J. Warren was a favorite of mine even prior to the work he put in this offseason. He plays with the type of grit and motor you want from every member of your roster. That said, once considered just a mid-range specialist Warren took it upon himself to expand his game and arrived in camp with what so far appears to be a consistent 3-point shoot.
With Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton pretty much under wraps this evening it was Warren who kept pushing for the Suns to remain aggressive. Plus, despite his improved perimeter shot he doesn’t just jack them up for the sake of it, he only takes them when he’s open and its the best shot opportunity for Phoenix.
Warren finished with a team high 21 points, 6 rebounds, two steals and a block. The fact he logged 40 minutes (also a team high) speaks to the Suns coach recognizing he was playing with the most aggression for Phoenix.
Closing Thoughts:
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- Aleksej Pokusevski sidelined approximately 6 weeks with ankle injury
- Damian Lillard does not fit with the OKC Thunder
Ultimately the big win was the OKC Thunder rebounded from a poor effort in Dallas. However, the team needs to exercise the desire to jack up shots when they pull ahead.
It still feels like Billy Donovan isn’t fully captalizing on the potential of his youthful bench and perhaps we’ll have to wait until Westbrook’s return for that to transpire.
Some lesson learned do seem to be sinking in such as the Thunder being more cognizant of their defense and how the refs call the game. They limited their total personal fouls to 15 which is evidence they’re learning.
More assists than turnovers. Another key area OKC need to focus on is ball and player movement combined with protecting the ball. In the victory OKC limited turnovers to 13 while dishing 23 assists – both wins and signs of their progression.
And, for as much as the third quarter is one the team will want to forget they did limit their 3-point shots attempts to 27 and hit an extremely respectable 13 for 48.1 percent efficiency in the game.
Next. When Steven Adams dictates offense OKC flourishes. dark
The Topic: Thunder podcast crew will serve up the post game roundup in the morning and key takeaways from the win will be available tomorrow as well. Next up the OKC Thunder will travel to the Mecca for a road match versus the New York Knicks on Wednesday, November 14.