OKC Thunder: 3 lessons learned from Mar. 6 Knicks replay

In the replay of the OKC Thunder, March 6th win over the Knicks the squad can utilize three lessons to apply in Orlando.

The replay offering from Fox Sports Oklahoma last night featured the March 6th victory over the New York Knicks. The win came with beneficial lessons the OKC Thunder can package in preparation for the Orlando bubble season restart.

This contest featured the second of three games on a mini road trip and was the second last game the Thunder played prior to the season coming to a halt.

As the team demonstrated later in the season they are capable of rebounding from slow starts, beating teams they should and winning on the road.

By the time the final Madison Square Garden horn sounded the Thunder were up 126-103 and had their 39th win of the 2019-20 campaign.

Three lessons to take note of for the Disney restart:

Every playoff team needs an All-Star caliber player:

Although Chris Paul turned 35 during the hiatus his presence on the court is more than simply a playmaker and reliable scorer. Paul tends to ease into matches putting his teammates in a position to succeed. He’s also the orchestrator and leader of clutch time where the team excels.

Yet, two of CP3’s best attributes are his IQ and instincts. Specifically, his innate ability to read time and place. In this match knowing the team couldn’t afford to fall too far behind the Knicks it was Paul who changed the momentum and got the Thunder rolling.

When the team hits the Disney bubble and eventually reaches the playoffs having a star of his caliber and these qualities can be the difference in pushing the team over the top for the victory.

With his former agent, Leon Rose now at the management helm and hankerings for a player of Paul’s ilk to steer the young Knicks in the right direction, Paul reminded the Knicks precisely why he’s so valuable.

 Adapt your strengths to the opponent’s weakness:

Although this was a perfect example of teams on opposite ends of the spectrum the Thunder didn’t let it stop them from adapting.

With the Knicks showing no desire to defend the paint Billy Donovan instructed his squad to drive the ball until New York showed a proclivity to stop them.

The fact OKC scored 58 points in the paint proved their adjustment was spot on. In the Disney bubble, the ability of the Thunder to run different systems to capitalize on their opponent is essential to achieve a deep run.

Trust the hot hand:

Perhaps the greatest difference in this iteration of the OKC Thunder compared to the past few campaigns is how much the ball moves and how the team shares the rock. Granted, you need players to score but this squad trusts one another and possesses an overall high IQ.

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Repeatedly Thunder Nation has witnessed multiple double-digit scorers. That’s a result of the players hitting open shots, the team trusting one another and yes —- ball movement.

Although former Knick Danilo Gallinari led the way with 22 points, he was joined by five teammates who also registered double-digit scoring efforts.

The Thunder clutch time lineup has repeatedly demonstrated how multiple players can create shots for themselves and others. And when the ball is zipping with virtually everyone on the court able to score this team becomes incredibly difficult to stop. Most importantly, wins of this nature showcase the trust that exists on this team.

The Thunder are not a team driven by offensive rhythm and if they keep these last two points in mind while in Orlando they’ll hold a major advantage over teams who are rhythm dictated.

For those who prefer the full statistical information click here for ESPN’s box score or here for our grades that followed the win at Madison Square Gardens.