OKC Thunder: 5 keys to victory over the San Antonio Spurs
OKC Thunder chalkboard note 2: Be mindful of the mid-range
As the Spurs transition to the rising young stars, they haven’t abandoned all their typical traits. To wit, the Spurs take the most two-point shots of the 30 teams with 63.5 in the mid-range or at the basket.
Until one or a few of those youngsters (we see you, Keldon Johnson, and Devin Vassel) supplant the veterans the Spurs will continue to mirror their top player DeMar DeRozan – better known as the mid-range assassin.
The natural assumption would be the Spurs live in the paint but in reality, they rank in the middle of the pack (45.6 points – rank 15th).
This is more a product of Popovich’s team taking smart shots (see the next chalkboard tip for proof of that) coupled with the personnel playing to their strengths.
San Antonio utilizes balanced scoring as evidenced by the fact seven players average double-figure scoring:
- DeMar DeRozan – 21.2
- Dejounte Murray – 16.2
- LaMarcus Aldridge – 15.4
- Patty Mills – 15.0
- Keldon Johnson – 13.1
- Lonnie Walker – 13.1
- Rudy Gay – 11.7
Scan that list and you’ll find four of those players are the team’s vets with two of the top three their primary shot takers.
Notably, Derrick White appeared in a single game thus far as he’s dealing with a fractured toe but will logically join this group.