OKC Thunder: 3 keys to beating the Detroit Pistons

It was a rough weekend for the OKC Thunder who got routed in back-to-back matches. On Friday the club faced former captain Chris Paul and his new team.

CP3 reminded Thunder fans of how one player can affect the mindset of a club as Phoenix jumped on OKC from the tip. By the end of the first frame, the Suns led by 30 points and the match was essentially already over.

Saturday didn’t offer much of a reprieve as the Thunder got routed again (85-133), this time by the Blazers.

The 37 and 48 point differentials were the worst by the Thunder this season. It’s sort of understandable given the core producers who are out. Still, Mark Daigneault won’t want his squad falling into a pattern of losing by such large margins as it can take a toll on the psyche of the players and affect their confidence.

They’ll get an opportunity to get back in the win column or keep the game closer with another lottery squad in town.

OKC Thunder versus Detroit Pistons – three keys

This match marks the return of Hamidou Diallo to OKC. The young wing spent his rookie and sophomore seasons with the OKC Thunder and close to three months of this campaign prior to his trade on March 12th to the Pistons.

He joins another former Thunder player Jerami Grant who has embraced a much larger role with Detroit. Hami was injured when the deal occurred so he’s only appeared in four games with his new squad but is making a difference for Dwane Casey who’s squad has recognized a few wins lately.

As for this match let’s dive into the three keys…