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 media session as the Thunder awaits its opponent for its Round 2 matchup in the Western Conference Playoffs.
- Head coach Scott Brooks said his team had an optional practice today, but will go with a hard practice then a lighter one with a lot of running but not much contact in the coming days. The team has to keep its timing sharp by competing against each other in 5-on-5, 3-on-3 or even 1-on-1 situations.
- The Thunder knows that its next opponent will be either the Los Angeles Lakers or Denver Nuggets (LAL currently leads the series 3-1). The Thunder has to prepare for both teams, but they’re completely different teams. Denver is fast with their style of play and the Lakers can pound it inside with their two bigs and Kobe Bryant is always a factor.
- When asked about Kendrick Perkins’ strained right hip, Brooks said that Perkins was with the medical staff and getting worked on. The team will have a better understanding in the next couple of days.
- Brooks praised the medical staff, said it’s always about the players. The team will make sure Perkins is ready to play at the level he is capable of playing at. Everybody has a few bumps and bruises and can use the couple of days of rest.
- Brooks said that both the Lakers and Nuggets are probably scouting as the Thunder as the week goes by, and that the Thunder is focusing on scouting both teams.
- Nazr Mohammed didn’t get a ton of minutes in the series against the Mavericks, but played an important 11:14 in Game 4. Brooks said that if the Thunder plays the Lakers, Mohammed has a chance to play more minutes, but Denver likes to play small and sometimes goes very small.
- Brooks said the Thunder did a good job of taking care of the basketball, focused on spacing and ball movement. For some reason, Brooks said, a lot of things clicked in that Dallas series. Brooks praised Dallas’ unselfishness with and care for the basketball, saying that he was glad to see his team learn from the Mavericks throughout the series.
- Brooks praised his bigs in the Dallas series, saying that they did a great job of running into their screens on offense. Brooks also said that everyone is involved in keeping turnovers down and that floor spacing helps. In fact, in one game, the Thunder had nine corner three pointers, one of the most efficient spots on the floor.