OKC Thunder vs. Lakers: OKC in search of elusive first win

Key Stats:

The Lakers began the week ranked 14th offensively, 21st defensively, and 19th in net differential.

Scoring: Through four games the Lakers are scoring 116.3 points per game ranking them fifth overall.  Opponents are averaging 118.8 points which rank 29th on the ladder.

Cleaning the glass: Despite one of the Lakers’ greatest advantages (height), they haven’t won the rebounding battle in any of their four matches. They average 45.8 rebounds per game ranking 19th.

Defense: Another concern is the defense which has taken a decided step backward — even in the small sample size, the eye test offers that evidence. LA entered the week ranked 21st on defense and fell to 22nd following the Spurs match.

Dime dishers: LA average 23.8 assists per game which ranks 14th.

Miscellaneous Categories:  The Lakers allow the most opponent points scored in the paint (56 points per game) and allow the third most opponent second-chance points (15.5 per game).

They rank ninth for points scored off turnovers, 14th on fast-break scoring, 21st for second-chance points, and 18th for points scored in the paint.

Perimeter: The Lakers possess the fifth-ranked 3-point efficiency (39.7 percent) and 16th ranked perimeter defense (35.2 percent).