OKC Thunder learn valuable lessons after 107-70 pummeling by Mavericks

OKC Thunder standouts:

Sure it was a 37 point loss but there were tangible lessons the Thunder can apply to tweak moving forward. First of all two players stood out in the match as both Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Gallinari provided quality offensive moments. Gallo, in particular, scored with ease and made the game look simple. It’s unfortunate his days will likely be numbered in OKC as he truly is one of the most underrated talents in the NBA.

On the night the power forward delivered a stat line of 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists. He shot a highly efficient  50 percent from both the field (6 of 12) and from deep (2 of 4) and was perfect from the line (2 of 2).

Gilgeous-Alexander delivered 16 points with 8 rebounds shooting 7 of 16 from the field. The concerning part of his game was the five turnovers and he failed to register any assists. Part of the latter point could be attributed to a lack of player movement as his teammates failed to give him a moving target to pass to.

Through the preseason Billy Donovan has committed to always having two point guards on the court. Without Chris Paul in the game, the youngster and Dennis Schroder didn’t seem to have the same chemistry. The takeaway for the Thunder will be the lack of ball and player movement. And, for Sam Presti, the big note is the essential need to add other playmakers to the club.