NBA Oklahoma City Thunder

Oklahoma City Thunder’s Defense Strikes Again But Still Needs Kevin Durant

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By @GoldenPerspectv

Russell Westbrook and Kemba Walker

Mark D. Smith – USA Today Sports

Kids, if you’re on a basketball team, grab your teammates, sit them down in front of an Oklahoma City Thunder basketball game and tell them, “This is how we need to play defense.” The Thunder had the Charlotte Hornets playing like they had a chain and ball hitched around their ankle. If you are a Hornets fan, it was just embarrassing to watch. In the first half, the Thunder only allowed Charlotte to score 40 points. The Thunder’s team defense was executed just as well as the individual defense. Gerald Henderson played frustrated all night due to hounding defense from Anthony Morrow and Andre Robertson, Al Jefferson only had four points on 2-7 shooting and the Hornets only scored 75 points. That’s insane.

Charlotte hasn’t performed anywhere near their expectation this year, but shooting 28 percent from the field is just awful. And to imagine what would have happened if Kevin Durant had taken the floor. Durant isn’t the best defender, but his freakish wingspan helps on the defensive side of things.

The Thunder beat the San Antonio Spurs on Christmas Day and that happened to be without the reigning MVP. I think the Thunder make the playoffs easily but I still don’t believe they can beat San Antonio in a seven-game series. When the two clubs played yesterday, they both lacked a key piece to their success. The Thunder sat Kevin Durant and the Spurs did not have Boris Diaw. The stat sheet does not tell the story on Diaw. He is a major component that engineers that team’s offense. I compare him to Pau Gasol but more mobile. Gasol’s niche is to catch, observe and act. Diaw does the same, but, at times, he’ll take you off the dribble from the arc and make a play. Obviously, both players can pass well and maintain an extremely high IQ. I’d still take Gasol over Diaw because he’s a better scorer but Diaw can’t be undermined.

Despite what the records say, and I might get some backlash on this, I feel that OKC is the second-best team in the Western Conference behind the Spurs. Yes, that’s even with them being the 10th seed. Yes, that’s even with an upgraded Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets team. Yes, that’s even with the Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies and Portland Trail Blazers playing outstanding. I am aware how much other rosters have improved and that OKC’s team is very similar to last year’s, but their role players have improved as well. Having Russell Westbrook and Durant in and out the lineup forced the other guys to become better players.

I like the emergence of their big men, too. Steven Adams has really improved his offensive game and looks for his shot more than before. His defense has always been solid, too. Serge Ibaka has expanded his arsenal and added the three-point shot to cause defenses to make a decision when a guy penetrates. Westbrook and Durant get in the paint as much as any two guys in the league.

But with all that said, they are still one player short to get my vote as the favorite in the West. That one player needs to be a shooter. Anthony Morrow is a great shooter and Ibaka has gotten better, but they need one more. They are one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the league at 33 percent per game. The Spurs have shooters spaced out within every lineup and that’s huge when trying to build or stop momentum.

Kevin Durant said he was tired of being No. 2 in everything (draft, NBA Finals, etc) but if the Thunder do not acquire another shooter, they will once again be No. 2 in the West.

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