Hey Thunder fans! You all are known for being some of the most knowledgeable and dedicated fans in the NBA, so it's no surprise that you are interested in receiving as much information and insight about the team as possible. With the flurry of activity surrounding the Thunder throughout the NBA Playoffs, thunder.nba.com will be hitting you with some unique and interesting sights and sounds from practice, shoot-arounds and media sessions.
Below are the Fast Break Points from Monday's shoot around as the Thunder prepares for Game Two of the first-round series against the Dallas Mavericks.
· Nick Collison spoke with Thunder TV’s Kelly Crull during practice, saying that the Thunder has multiple different players, including himself, Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins, who will defend Dirk Nowitzki.
· The Thunder was outscored 39-19 off the bench in Game One, which is something Collison and the Thunder want to improve upon in Game Two. Collison said that executing and running sets more efficiently will help moving forward.
· Collison also emphasized that the Thunder should expect even more toughness and intensity from the Mavericks for the rest of the series. According to Collison, the Mavericks are not your typical seven seed.
· Thabo Sefolosha has recently received praise for his passing ability and role in the offense. He says that he likes to be a good cutter because it draws a defender and diverts attention away from his teammates, who like to space the floor to get freed up for open looks.
· Sefolosha and James Harden did a particularly nice job of digging in and slapping the ball from Dirk Nowtizki in Game One, and Sefolosha said that it something the guards will need to continue to do.
· Both Brooks and Sefolosha talked about Russell Westbrook’s defense on Jason Terry and how effective he was against the Mavericks’ sixth man in the fourth quarter. Sefolosha said it is certainly a possibility that he will guard Jason Kidd, allowing Westbrook to guard Terry. Both options give the Mavericks a different look they might have to deal with.