OKC Thunder tough loss to Wizards provides lessons to apply moving forward

The OKC Thunder play down to their competition in the loss to the Wizards and raise some questions regarding what the identity of this team is.

Despite losing in Utah there was still a feeling of optimism coming home. After all, the Jazz is a team many cite as potentially taking the top spot in the Western Conference. Yet, if that game left fans feeling good, this OKC Thunder loss to the Wizards was the polar opposite.

Washington is a squad who are expected to struggle all season and end up with one of those three chances to win next summer’s top lottery pick. Which made losing to them all the more painful. In this instance, the OKC Thunder played down to their competition.

There is a myriad of excuses that can be made to appease fans. Not the least of which is the fact this iteration of the Thunder is still developing chemistry.  The problem is every club, for the most part, is experiencing roster turnover so that feels like a soft excuse. Rather, this loss offered specific areas of the game that can be pointed to which need to be cleaned up if the Thunder wants to start putting ‘Ws’ in the win column.

Consistent Effort:

Although the team played well at times there simply wasn’t consistent effort applied throughout the game. Or course there are exceptions but the team as a whole vacillated in and out of the effort required over 48 minutes to win.

This is the Washington Wizards, not the LA Clippers guys. It’s a game the team should’ve won and won easily. Comments made by the players preseason were they expected to compete and be in the mix for a playoff berth. It’s hard to buy into those suggestions with efforts like last night.

Ownership:

Chris Paul took the brunt of the loss on his shoulders. That’s what leaders do and in truth, he had a subpar game. But, this loss was not his fault (at least not entirely). Every member of the team needs to accept their role and then commit to delivering those fundamentals. The bench, in particular, had a terrible night coughing up the lead after the starters fought to get it.

With the exits of the superstars and Jerami Grant, there are minutes open to be claimed on this team. Yet, there was no sign of that hunger you would expect from players who want to seize the moment.

There is the elephant in the room regarding Steven Adams’ sub-par performances in back-to-back outings. The one thing you can never point to with Adams is a lack of energy or desire. Rather, I’ll point back to the preseason when he left the court after injuring his shoulder. I suspect he is having issues with the shoulder which is why he’s struggling to stop his man. If this continues we’ll have to revisit it, but he’s earned the right for us to look the other way – for now.

Blah Bench :

Dennis Schroder specifically was hugely disappointing. He has to recognize how vital his leadership of the reserves is in order for the Thunder to succeed. it. As the point guard, he needs to get his group working cohesively and recognize when his shot isn’t falling to put his court mates in a position to succeed.

Nerlens Noel had one — ONE– field goal attempt. The only reserve players who hit with any level of efficiency were the two youngest in the lineup (Darius Bazley and Hamidou Diallo). But, instead of continuing to get them shots Schroder forced his own, shooting an amoebic 4 of 14 or 28 percent.

Dennis has to be better:

Perhaps he’s pouting because he thought Billy Donovan was going to commit to using the oft discussed three-guard lineup. Whatever his motivation he’s been in the league long enough to know situations are fluid and therefore it’s up to him to make the best of whatever role he is put in.

If the Thunder wants to win the bench has to perform well and at least play to a draw. OKC simply doesn’t have the star power to expect someone to take over if they play poorly. The guy who did that for the franchise is now playing in Houston!

Shooting efficiency:

There were hints the old issues had dissipated in the preseason but they reared their ugly heads again on Friday night with the team shooting 21.7 percent from the perimeter and a horrific 63.6 percent from the stripe.

In terms of the 3-point shooting, it’s hard not to be annoyed by Mike Muscala who was brought in as a 3-point specialist. Through two games he’s shot 1 of 8 of 12.5 percent.

The free throw problem continues to be a harbinger of doom for the Thunder as they’ve shot in the 60s in both matches. I’m not sure if the finger should be pointed at the players or the coaching staff. Either way, if a lowly scribe can see this as a perennial issue than surely they can too. It’s time the Thunder hire a shooting coach — it’s long overdue.

The Positives:

There isn’t much positive to take away from a loss of this nature given the opponent, however, there are a few standouts.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is showcasing early why he was such an integral part of the trade package. He’s been the best player on the court in two successive outings and is poised to take a step toward stardom. SGA plays within himself and although he could force more shots he doesn’t.

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That more than his efficiency and productivity should be highlighted as it means he wants the team to succeed and places that above his own performance. This specifically will bode well for the OKC Thunder as the squad eventually adds more talent to the mix. On the night he delivered a new career-high in points (28) grabbed 7 rebounds, dished 4 dimes and added the energy stats of 2 steals and 3 blocks. Impressive to say the least!

Danilo Gallinari was another bright spot. The only thing missing from Gallo last night was more shots. I’m being slightly sarcastic since the Italian was superb once again. In both outings, he’s shot efficiently and been one of the main positives.

It’s disappointing the Thunder will likely part ways with him to snare more draft picks. He’s the type of player every club wants because he, like SGA, plays within themselves never forcing their own importance over the teams. Gallo’s line was 18 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal plus he hit two of his three 3-point shots. and all four of his free throws.

The full box score can be viewed on ESPN. Next up, the OKC Thunder play host to the Golden State Warriors who arrive with bees in their bonnets over their own embarrassing loss to the Clippers. Check back in the morning for the game preview.