Lightning Report: The OKC Thunder couldn’t adapt and the Blazers ate them

Schematic inflexibility

Dame and CJ are going to get their points – that’s just a given – but the Thunder’s scheme to stop them had more holes than a sponge. Much of the Thunder’s defensive scheme revolved around trapping Lillard and McCollum in the pick-and-roll almost right away and trying to recreate the hyper-aggressive defense that the New Orleans Pelicans defense used to sweep Portland in last year’s playoffs.

It was a solid idea for one of the more talented defenses out there, but the thing that made the Pelicans’ swarming defense work was the fact that they had the strongest point guard and most versatile big in the league executing it. They didn’t have to worry about leaving Anthony Davis on an island with Lillard or McCollum – he was quick enough to hold his ground.

The Thunder, on the other hand, didn’t have guys like that. Trapping schemes are hard. To pull them off, everybody needs to be in sync. Steven Adams is awesome in the regular season, but he can’t hang on the perimeter and offenses have exposed him in that way time and time again for the past few years. Russell Westbrook, meanwhile, could fill in the Jrue Holiday role, but he takes way too many risks and doesn’t always make the best decisions. Combine those and you get a defense that McCollum and Lillard are perfectly suited to exploit:

This scheme didn’t work in the first game, nor did it work in the last one. Lillard and McCollum finished the round fourth and sixth in pick-and-roll efficiency, respectively, and were absolutely dominant in those situations. For whatever reason, though, the Thunder still played their ultra-aggressive system that not only McCollum and Lillard could tear up themselves, but that even Enes Kanter was feasting on in the short roll.

The Blazers kept ripping OKC’s defense apart in the pick-and-roll, and OKC refused to adjust their strategy. It’s not like they don’t have capable defenders – Terrance Ferguson and Paul George were fantastic this year – they just weren’t quick enough to change up what they were doing.