OKC Thunder 3 takeaways from competitive loss to Spurs

OKC Thunder takeaway No. 1) The Thunder needs greater bench production

With the exception of Hamidou Diallo who had 15 points, no Thunder bench player had more than five points for the game. Diallo was again the star of the bench for the third straight game after having a double-double against the New York Knicks with 23 points and 11 rebounds. He also had 25 points against the Brooklyn Nets.

Usually, Diallo has Mike Muscala who goes with him, spacing the floor with his 3-point shooting. Muscala only got four shots up against the Spurs, making 1-of-3 from deep. Theo Maledon was solid for a rookie but only had four points and two rebounds. He would have had more than one assist had the bench made their shots.

Aleksej Pokusevski is still feeling his way into the league and needs to remember that the European 3-point line is closer in than the NBA line. His shots from deep seem to come up short, but when he is just inside the line he is hitting more often than not.

Roby gets a leave pass for not contributing more than four points and six rebounds due to going off with his injured hand.  Justin Jackson had five points but did nothing else in the box score which if he wants more playing time he needs to crash the boards or something.

To my surprise, Kendrich Williams only had three minutes on the floor which is interesting. His effort play just makes things happen and he seems to love the challenge of defending the opposition’s best bench wing. Considering Rudy Gay went for 12 points, his defense could have helped.