OKC Thunder: 5 keys to beating the Lakers

OKC Thunder chalkboard note 3: Lakers dominant across the board

Scan any stat board and it’s hard to find a definitive weakness for this Lakers squad. While I believe the postseason will raise issues for the supporting cast when the pace slows, for the moment this team is rolling.

They rank in the upper tier in the triad of key categories:

• Offensive Rating:  Sixth (113.5)
• Defensive Rating: Tied for First (104.8)
• Net Rating; Second (Plus +8.8)

Other key areas where the Lakers excel are:

• Opponent field goal percentage – Second: 43.9%
• Points per game – Seventh: 114.7
• Opponent points- Tied for third: 105.7
• Opponent free throw rate –  First (shocker):  0.195
• 3-point efficiency – Sixth: 38.9%
• Opponent offensive rebound percent – Tied with Spurs for second: 23.9%
• Defensive Rebounding – First: 38.8
• Second chance scoring – Second: 15.9
• Fast Break scoring – Fourth: 16.3
• Points in the paint – Ninth: 48.8
• Blocks – Third: 6.7