Whether it’s physically in the form of intricate pregame handshake routines or mentally in the film room and in huddles, Thunder players are as one with each other every day.
When Head Coach Billy Donovan took over the Thunder’s helm last spring, he spoke about the importance of an emotional commitment existing on the team between players. Despite how early it is in the season, it’s clear that Donovan and his coaching staff have helped foster the type of environment where teammates have the best interest of one another, and the group, in mind at all times.
“I believe that the best teams out there are the most connected teams,” Donovan explained. “You have five guys that have to work together. You have to be able to cover for each other. You have to be able to help each other. It’s understanding each guys’ strengths and weaknesses, how to expose the positives and bring the positives out.
“It always comes down to when you start thinking about the guy standing next to you and how you can make that person better and how you can help them do their job better,” Donovan continued. “When players see other players doing that for each other, it creates a bond and connection that allows you to play together on the floor.”
Team leaders like Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are the ones who take on a large portion of the responsibility to make their teammates better on the court, putting them in positions to succeed based on their specific skill sets.
Of course, the coaching staff has a hand in that as well with its schemes, but it is important for the Thunder’s most dynamic players to embrace that mentality as well. On defense, that means highlighting the abilities of the team’s rim protectors and perimeter stoppers, while aiding players in areas where they don’t excel.
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On offense, it means finding players like Anthony Morrow in comfortable spots on the floor as opposed to putting teammates in trying circumstances that don’t accentuate their talents. That collective understanding and general philosophy has built an environment of trust and togetherness, on a level which Morrow says he’s rarely experienced in his playing days.
“As a team we’ve been in a great groove on both ends of the floor. That’s the main thing, being connected on both ends of the floor,” Morrow explained. “That’s something that we say every day. Somebody mentions it every day. That’s a word we have to be associated with every day.”
“It’s about weathering the storm,” Morrow continued. “When things get tough, it’s staying connected, being one body and getting the task done, whatever needs to be done to win that game in particular.”
That’s why fans will see the Thunder’s bench erupt at the mere sight of a defensive stand by Andre Roberson or an and-one finish by Enes Kanter. There’s an emotional investment with this team because every player’s success is the team’s success, and when the team performs well as a unit, everyone benefits.
“Every time we play, the most important thing is sharing the ball and trying to find the open man,” Kanter said. “We’re having fun out there and every time when a guy makes a shot, everybody is up and cheering for them.”
While that personal connection is something that has been bred because of the personalities on the team and the selflessness within the group, it doesn’t mean that things will always be perfect on the floor.
That’s why having two days in a row to practice at home this weekend was a wonderful opportunity for Donovan and his staff to work with the team on continuing to improve. Maintaining the mental and physical sharpness required to prevent slippage is a never-ending process that the Thunder must engage in each day.
“We’re moving in the right direction, but success is very fleeting,” Donovan cautioned. “Just because you grasp onto something and do something very well, it doesn’t mean the next day you’re going to do that. It takes an enormous amount of commitment, concentration and focus to be able to continue to build on those things you’ve gotten better at.”