Defense remains key for OKC Thunder; 3 Takeaways vs Pistons

Defense Remains A Bread And Butter

In the game against the Nuggets, Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic feasted against the Thunder’s defense. They were never contained or slowed down as their championship pedigree stood above everything OKC thrown at them. It was a testament to how great their two-man game is.

In this game versus the Pistons, Chet Holmgren and Lu Dort — the same guys who guarded Jokic and Murray — shut down the young duo of Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren.

Cunningham, a former number-one pick, was held to just 17 points on 6-for-15 shooting, while Duren, who averaged 18 points and 15 rebounds on his first three games, only managed to eke out 8 points and seven rebounds on 4-for-11 shooting.

Lu Dort recorded two steals, one block, and a bevy of intangibles that stats could not capture as the primary defender of Cunningham. Holmgren also tallied two steals, but with four blocks as his interior presence and brilliant pick-and-roll coverages clamped down the Pistons and Duren’s game.

OKC Thunder had a 108.7 defensive rating in the game, predicated on the team’s defensive principles and personnel. Other guys who stepped up defensively were Cason Wallace, Jalen Williams, and Olivier Sarr.

These defensive returns will ultimately result in more significant for the Thunder. But it is still too early and too small of a sample size to tell. Though, history tells us Mark Daigneault always maximizes the team’s defense.