OKC Thunder: Transition defense tops 3 takeaways in loss to Bulls

No. 3: Al Horford consistency will be paramount

Al Horford looked comfortable tonight to say the very least, the 34-year old had 15 points by halftime and was able to record seven rebounds in just 15 minutes of playing time. This is without mentioning the 3-pointer he nailed right before the half.

This is everything OKC fans could ask from a stretch-five:

The ability for Al to move from the paint to the 3-point line will be a major blessing for these young OKC guards who like to drive to the basket.

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Another staple in Horford’s game is his ability to run the pick and roll with a litany of Thunder players. Shown above is a quick clip from OKC twitter showing off Al’s ability to pick and pop with Darius Bazely.

This is the type of OKC Thunder basketball fans should relish.

Even if OKC is looking at a 14-16 win season, there will still be the belief that Horford can remain consistent and help some of these other players grow and mature.

Wednesday night’s matchup was brutal, but there was a silver lining it would be the fact this was game 1 of 2 during preseason play.

Coach Mark Daigneault is likely still figuring out the nuts and bolts of this OKC roster. As such he’s dealing with a bevy of new players and trying to discern his rotations, chemistry, and what he has in the numerous new additions.

As a fellow fan, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and express how great it is to finally have Oklahoma City Thunder basketball back!