Pump the break on Russ’s threes
There are not many things OKC Thunder cornerstone Russell Westbrook cannot do on a basketball court. Nonetheless, there is one area Russ is far below average and that area is 3-point shooting.
Among 138 players to attempt 100 or more threes Westbrook’s percentage ranks dead last at a paltry 24.8 percent. In games where Westbrook shoots six or more threes, the Thunder are 2-8 this season. When Russ attempts three or fewer shots from beyond the arc Oklahoma City is 6-2.
Westbrook’s shooting is not a direct correlation with a Thunder win, but it is fair to say fewer 3-point attempts works in favor of OKC.
Control Point Guard Devin Booker
According to Basketball-Reference’s position estimate chart, the Suns star and reigning 3-point champion Devin Booker has played 22 percent of his 905 minutes at point gurad this season. By far the most of his career.
Devin Booker is averaging 30.7 points, 8 assists, and 5.3 rebounds over this six-game stretch—those are James Harden style numbers. Point Booker has already been a massive success when he's been healthy, and he's still getting better. https://t.co/K21yXU8aN3
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) December 27, 2018
As O’Connor noted playing Booker in a similar style to what the Rockets do with Harden has been wildly successful for Booker. This season Booker has three games with 12 or more assists, including a career-high 14 against the Wizards on December 22. In his first three seasons Booker had no games with 12 or more assists. Suns coach Igor Kokoskov deserves credit for making this modern adjustment with Booker.
The Thunder must control Booker as both a scorer and playmaker tonight or they could face a similar fate to what transpired in H-Town on Christmas.
Dump the Slump
Two of the Thunder’s key bench cogs Patrick Patterson and Dennis Schroder are both currently in slumps. Their slumps are vastly different with Patterson’s lasting from season start, whereas Schroder has just struggled in roughly the last six games.
Patterson is shooting his worst percentage from three 29.8 percent, since 2013-14, his final season in Sacramento where he shot 23.1 percent. Schroder’s issue is he is struggling to score. Over the German guards last six games, he has scored more than 11 points once. In his previous six contests, he scored over 12 in all six appearances.
Schroder’s struggles are affecting bench unit production which the Thunder need in order to be successful. In wins OKC averages 33.4 bench points vs. 28.8 in losses. On a related note, the Thunder have lost five games by five or less.