In the news features the OKC Thunder path of ascent which can be partially attributed to NBA’s top defense and Paul George’s consistent 2-way dominance.
OKC Thunder’s rise to the top of the Western Conference standings has everyone talking. The Thunder have the No.1 defense in the league combined with Paul George’s recent outrageous surge to solidify the team as a real contender, TI’s In the news brings you the specifics.
Paul George for MVP?
Russell Westbrook has obviously been the ring-leader for the OKC Thunder franchise, but during nights when Westbrook is a little less than perfect (‘little less’ used generously here) the team has struggled with coping. That is, until this season.
It has been a long time coming, a player that can fill the gap consistently and offer support to the weight on Russ’s shoulders, as broad as they may be, he can’t do it all on his own. Paul George‘s recent development has been something that can only be described as going awf. Like many others trying to pinpoint the specifics of OKC Thunder’s turnaround from the 0-4 start, TI’s Lawrence George analyzed George’s recent stats.
"The All Star is in a purple patch of form, posting insane numbers in almost every statistical category catapulting himself into the MVP conversation. More recently, George shot his very first 80-80-80 percent game, posting 31 points on 8-10 from the field, 10-12 from the stripe and 4-5 from three in the 122-113 win over the Utah Jazz.To put these numbers into perspective, PG’s performances have been compared to annual MVP candidate LeBron James. The King is having another fantastic season at year 16 but PG13 is keeping pace with the future hall of famer."
With a big chunk of the season still remaining, the continued contributions of George’s consistent double-digit scoring would keep OKC at the top of its game and keep PG in the talk for an MVP status.
Offense wins games, defense finishes them:
OKC Thunder has always had the reputation of being a second-half team. Getting into a situation where they have to crawl back for a win has been a trend for the franchise. But lately, the team has depended on its tight defense to finish the win. Don’t get me wrong, sure we have had multiple games in which the final gap in the score should have been far more, but a win is a win right?
Talk around the NBA community has attributed the team’s recent success in the win column to its consistent success on defense this season. Per Stats.NBA.com, the OKC Thunder is still occupying the top spot in defensive rating with 101.6 and No. 10 in defensive rebounding with 73.8. So, I’d say the numbers are agreeing with the analysis.
For Jonathan Tjarks at TheRinger.com, the OKC Thunder’s defensive improvements have helped the team define “an identity beyond giving Westbrook the ball and hoping for the best”. In his article, Tjarks goes on to highlight the changes Westbrook has made individually that have led to the team’s new identity.
"Westbrook has taken a step back this season. He dropped from no. 1 in the league in touches per game (95.7) to no. 3 (86.5), and he’s taking fewer shots (19.4 per game) than he has since Durant left. He has even cleaned up his shot selection, with only 26.1 percent of his field goal attempts coming in the long 2-point range between 10 feet and the 3-point line, compared to 39.8 percent last season."
These changes, maybe due to the stat-padding accusations (LOL), wouldn’t have been possible without the development of the team’s defense to back him up. The revamping of the roster played an important role. OKC has two players topping defensive rating with Dennis Schroder at No. 10 in the league and the shocking turn of events with Alex Abrines at No. 4.
Tjarks put it best, stating that:
"An NBA defense is only as strong as its weakest link. The Thunder have the no. 1 rated defense in the league because they’ve eliminated most of their weak links. The normal offensive playbook doesn’t work against them."
The revolving rotations were the team’s Achilles heel at the start of the season, but now with the team chemistry bubbling over. the rotations keep opponents on their toes and the wins in our column.
Putting the ‘Peak’ in Chesapeake Arena:
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Over at SportsIllustrated.com, Rohan Nadkarni approached a question in his article title that we’ve all been hesitant to ask this season. It was a bumpy ride to No. 1 in the conference, but we’re there. So, as Nadkarni preluded, are we nearing a post-Kevin Durant peak?
Last season, fans had high hopes for the OKC3 group of Russ, PG, and Carmelo Anthony. However, it was a dismal result as the chemistry never really aligned and the team looked lost in the playoffs. However, Nadkarni used the dreary series with Utah in his article to highlight the vast progress of this season’s team.
"Only a few short months ago, the Jazz handed the Thunder an embarrassing first-round playoff defeat. Russell Westbrook descended into hero ball to try to save the series. Paul “Playoff P” George missed 17 of his last 21 threes. And life came at Carmelo Anthony incredibly fast. The roles were reversed Monday night. The Jazz came to Oklahoma City and were handed a sound defeat, as the conference-leading Thunder led wire-to-wire in a 122–113 victory. OKC is now 17–4 after its 0–4 start, and the team is looking better than it’s been at any point over the last three seasons."
The article also credited the team’s turnaround to defensive improvement and the individual improvements, like the league’s voted Toughest Player Steven Adams and many others.
All in all, it boils down to the chemistry that has cultivated the individual improvements (I mean seriously, who would’ve thought Abrines would be a top defender?) throughout the team to design an OKC Thunder roster that is worthy of the top spot in the Western Conference, and hopefully more top-spot positions to come.