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Winless OKC Thunder host unbeaten Warriors – preview

By Tamberlyn Richardson

Golden State's Stephen Curry (30) watches as he makes 3-pointer against the Thunder on April 14 in Oklahoma City.Lx12494
Golden State's Stephen Curry (30) watches as he makes 3-pointer against the Thunder on April 14 in Oklahoma City.Lx12494 /
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OKC Thunder
OKC Thunder forward Luguentz Dort (5) gestures after scoring a three point basket: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports /

Key Stats:

It’s still early in the season but there are notable stats from the few matches played to offer insight into areas the OKC Thunder will need to focus on.

The Warriors rank fifth offensively, 13th defensively, and 11th in net differential but let’s dive into some specific stats.

Scoring: Through three games the Warriors are scoring 118.3 points per game ranking them fourth in the association.

Golden State has committed defensively and it’s clear this team is closer to the title team than the past two seasons. For now, they are holding opponents to 111.3 points per game (ranking 18th).

With Andre Iguodala back and Otto Porter Jr., it feels like the defense will just keep improving with time (and especially once Klay Thompson is back). Not surprisingly Iggy and OPJ have the highest on/off court differential for the Dubs through three games.

Cleaning the glass: Despite their lack of length, the Dubs rank ninth on the glass pulling down 48.7 per game. Considering they’ve played the Lakers and Clippers who both have more overall length but won the glass in both battles is impressive.

Then factor in they are doing this without two of their three tallest players (Jonathan Kuminga, James Wiseman). That tells you the Dubs crash the glass as a group — highlighted by Curry’s nine rebounds average per game..

Dime dishers: A defining part of the identity of the Warriors is their player and ball movement. Not surprisingly they rank fifth for assists per game with 27.7 per contest.

Opponent second chance scoring: The Warriors top the association holding opponents to the fewest second-chance points (6.7 per game).

Weaknesses: One area the OKC Thunder needs to take advantage of is pushing the pace and getting out in transition. The Warriors rank 28th for opponent scoring on the fast break (19.0 points). They turn the ball over an average of 15 times per game which should be a focus of Mark Daigneault’s club. Dig in defensively, get the Dubs to cough up the ball, and take off to the races for a quick fast-break opportunity.

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