A week in Spain was overflowing with activities for the Thunder; the two games against Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, practices and shootarounds, NBA Cares appearances and team bonding events kept the team busy. The globetrotting trip back to Oklahoma City brought the Thunder back into Oklahoma City on Friday morning, with about 24 hours to rest up before the team got back to work on Saturday. So after testing itself against two of Europe’s best teams, what was the focus at the INTEGRIS Thunder Development Center this weekend?
“Just get back to the groove of things,” point guard Russell Westbrook announced. “We had a good opportunity to be able to go across the water and have some communication and bond a little bit. It was good for us and now we’re back with the opportunity to get back in our own gym, learn some new things we can learn from playing over there.”
- Both Head Coach Billy Donovan and Westbrook praised the level of competition that Real Madrid and FC Barcelona provided. “They run offenses so unique and there’s so much moving and cutting and spacing and driving. (They’ve) got shooting at at least four positions on the floor,” Donovan said. “Our defense really got tested and challenged.” Westbrook said that the offensive systems, plays and precision on the offensive end amongst European teams are at a higher level than the NBA. Due to the level of talent in the NBA, teams are typically able to rely on individual skill level to generate offense, where in Europe it’s more about an intricate offensive system.
- The biggest emphasis for the Thunder coming out of both games in Spain was working on the defensive end of the floor, particularly guarding the three-point line. In the first half of the game against Real Madrid the Thunder was disruptive, but in the second half the ball got downhill and got into the paint. In the game against FC Barcelona, Donovan said that the Thunder kept the ball on the sideline a lot more and kept it out of the paint by rotating and scrambling better to cover up mistakes. On offense, Donovan was pleased with the way his team shot the ball and generated scoring chances, but thought they turned the ball over a bit too much.
- Steven Adams was in the practice facility today but the Thunder is being cautious with his return from a sprained ankle he suffered in Madrid. It’s clear that Adams is a crucial member of this year’s Thunder squad, and Donovan praised what Adams has done in his young career, not just in terms of production but in terms of the way he’s gone about his business: “He’s really unselfish, and he’s always a team guy, and he’s always doing things that basically sacrifice for the benefit of the team.”
- Adams’ Stache Brother Enes Kanter was also a topic of conversation at today’s practice, which was to be expected after the way he played on the offensive end over in Spain. Against Madrid, Kanter scored 29 points on 12-for-20 shooting to go with 10 rebounds, then followed it up with 24 points on 9-for-12 shooting to go with eight rebounds. Down the stretch of both games, the Thunder sent the ball into Kanter in the post as its go-to guy, with Westbrook resting the fourth quarters. With a variety of post moves, Kanter showed an ability to go to work one-on-one. “As the game wears on, he can read and figure out how people are guarding him,” Donovan said. “He does a lot of different things offensively, because he can face up and shoot it, and he can play with his back to the basket. So, he’s a hard guy, just because of his size and strength.”
- The man of the hour during the Thunder’s trip to Spain was Alex Abrines, who scored 12 points on 4-for-5 shooting, all three-pointers, against Madrid. Then, during his homecoming back in Barcelona to face his former team, Abrines hit a huge jumper and came up with the two biggest rebounds of the game, one on a put-back three-point play in transition and the other on the defensive end in traffic. “He’s got a calmness about him, he’s got a confidence and belief in himself,” Donovan said. “He did some really good things while he was out there for us.”
- The Thunder’s other rookie, and also a former member of the Spanish league, is Domantas Sabonis, who Donovan also praised on Saturday. The Lithuanian will get better in terms of figuring out offenses and adjusting to the physical aspects of the NBA, but what has stood out to Donovan is how far along the big man is with regard to his defensive discipline, his knowledge of the playbook and his reliability. High marks for such a young player, but perhaps no surprise considering what a great feel for the game his father, Arvydas Sabonis, had during his time playing internationally and in the NBA.
And now for the other news and notes out of practice:
A video posted by Oklahoma City Thunder (@okcthunder) on Oct 4, 2016 at 5:14am PDT
Donovan on Post-Spain Lessons and Steven Adams' Impact
Big Plays From Abrines
After the game in Barcelona. Alex...look behind you! #ThunderTeammates pic.twitter.com/yncoDkLzTW
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) October 6, 2016
Highlight. Alex Abrines with back-to-back threes in Q4. He finished with a dozen points. pic.twitter.com/2XMyMXEER2
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) October 3, 2016
Alex Abrines Highlights at FC Barcelona
A photo posted by Oklahoma City Thunder (@okcthunder) on Oct 5, 2016 at 5:40am PDT