The OKC Thunder has lost six of their last ten, and are in for a tough game tonight. Today we discuss key areas of focus to halt the team’s destruction.
OKC Thunder identity crisis?
OKC Thunder has seemed to lose sight of the core mentality of the team. Their gameplay has been described as panicked, senseless, and countless other adjectives we’ve screamed at our television screens.
Allen Pettigrew wrote for Theleadsportsmedia.com to describe the current slump:
"Since the all-star break, Oklahoma City is 2-5– good for 27th in the league. The Thunder are starting to play like a team without an identity and it shows with every missed assignment, bad shot, and thoughtless turnovers that have occurred over the last seven games.The best thing you can say about this team right now is that they haven’t lost their defensive edge until the Wolves game. The last seven games, they’ve dropped to 17th in defensive rating (110.9) and were ranked 12th without PG (103.6). That still leaves them with a net rating of -4.3 since break and -3.9 while PG was out."
A major difference Pettigrew pointed out was the jump in field goal attempts from Russell Westbrook since the All-Star break. Though we did witness a few clutch 3-pointers throughout this slump, we’ve witnessed even more senseless 3-point attempts.
OKC Thunder need alter ego MVPG back on the court and need to stick to their fast-break identity. Slumps are common in the NBA and really any sport, but OKC is approaching crucial games in the schedule (ex: Portland tonight) and need to realign quickly.
Free throws prove costly for OKC Thunder:
In his recap of the Timberwolves fiasco, Erik Horne brought up a season-long struggle for OKC. Over at NewsOK.com, Horne discussed how OKC Thunder are paying at the free-throw line.
"The Thunder gets to the line on 27.5 percent of its possessions, seventh in the NBA, but is 28th in free throw percentage (71.1 percent). The Thunder shot 18-of-31 from the line Tuesday.Midway through the third quarter, Russell Westbrook and Adams were a combined 5-of-13 from the line. Westbrook was having a good offensive game, at one point hitting four consecutive pull-up jump shots in the second quarter, but the free throw shooting wasn’t there."
One thing I’ve always stuck to during my color commentating gigs is the notion that free throws can win ball games. They are even more important when OKC is pruning from a scoring drought.
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OKC Thunder began March with a loss to San Antonio. The defeat was at a 14-point margin, and OKC went 15-of-24 at the free throw line, leaving behind 9 points. Nerlens Noel was the ONLY player to go perfect at the line sinking a pair.
Next, OKC landed a 4-point win over Memphis. Thunder shot nearly 73 percent from the line with four players shooting perfect and Adams going a dismal 1-for-6.
Lastly, the brutal defeat by Minnesota at an 11-point margin. OKC went 18-for-31 from the line leaving behind 13 points. Adams ended the night hitting just three of his nine free throw attempts.
Free throw opportunities can be vital for avoiding scoring droughts and have the potential to put OKC in more promising rally situations if they can take advantage.
An unfortunate defensive slump:
The most jarring issue with OKC Thunder lately is their stray from defensive precision. Through their last five losses, they’ve allowed 117.2 points on average and put their opponent at the free throw line nearly 30 times on average.
Jordan Buckamneer wrote for TI to discuss the alarming matter:
"They’ve stumbled out of the top ten in defensive rating for the first time in what feels like an eternity. Their offense, on the other hand, has been surging, putting up more points since mid-January than just about everyone in the NBA. For a team that hasn’t been known for their consistent offense, let alone their elite one, since Kevin Durant left Oklahoma City, sustaining their offense at this level is jarring, to stay the least."
Though he cited the expected issues with fatigue at this point in the season, Buckamneer notes an important decision for OKC:
"The Thunder need to make a decision about their identity: do they opt for the slower approach they started the year with where the defense is absolutely dominant but puts more pressure on Paul George and Westbrook to carry the offense? Or do they keep pushing the pace to make their offense run smoother and wear teams out but sacrifice the bulk of the identity they’ve built for the past two years?"
There will be critics regardless of the decision… but a decision needs to be made and clarity achieved throughout the team. Defensive precision has been a key characteristic of this franchise and the confusion on which way to go has been evident and detrimental.
I am confident that once the team can grasp their footing on the teetering ledge, the team will come back together. In the words of Marvin Gaye, ‘ain’t no valley low enough’ to keep these players from getting back to the basics and redefining their identity this season.
Stay tuned to Thunderous Intentions here and on social media for tonight’s important match-up with the Trailblazers and don’t forget to Thunder Up!