After an historic statistical output on Wednesday night in Sacramento, it’s only fitting to re-up a monthly breakdown of where the Thunder and its players stand statistically throughout the NBA.
With All-Star voting beginning on Christmas, this will be a player-centric version starting with the guys who are playing at an All-Star level this season:
Paul George:
George is averaging career-bests in points (25.5), rebounds (7.9), assists (4.4), steals (2.1), blocks (0.7), field goal attempts (19.5) and three-point attempts (8.7). League-wide, George is tied for 3rd in steals, 4th in three-point attempts, 11th in points per game, 6th in deflections (3.4) and 1st in loose balls recovered (2.3). George is shooting 44.7 percent from the field (3rd best mark in his career) and 38.2 percent from three-point range. George’s 99.0 defensive rating (points scored per 100 possessions by the opposition while George is on the floor) is the best of any starter who has played in at least 20 games this season.
“(George) is being aggressive. That’s it,” said Westbrook. “That’s what he’s been doing at a high level… I love it.”
Russell Westbrook:
For the third consecutive season, Westbrook is doing what was previously un-thinkable in the modern NBA era: averaging a triple-double. Currently Westbrook is putting up 20.6 points, 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists per game, in addition to an NBA-leading 2.7 steals. Westbrook is 13th in the NBA in rebounding average and 1st in assists per game while also 2nd in deflections caused defensively.
“(Westbrook) is playing, really, a great floor game as a point guard. He’s distributing, he’s getting guys shots,” said Head Coach Billy Donovan. “He’s making the game easy for guys. He’s getting guys shots. He’s incorporating everybody… If you look at what Russ is doing on defense and what he’s doing as it relates to a floor game, he’s been really making a huge impact in a lot of different areas.”
Steven Adams:
As he has done every single season he’s been in the league, Adams has made another jump in productivity, but this has been the most profound by far. The burly Kiwi center is averaging career-highs in points (16.2), rebounds (10.2), offensive rebounds (5.1), assists (1.6) and steals (1.4). Adams’ 100.1 defensive rating (explained above) is the third-best amongst starting centers in the NBA.
“There’s nobody that’s going to be able to stop (Adams) from doing what he’s able to do every night, and he does it at a high level,” Westbrook said of his center.
“Steve-O is so physical and he’s a special player. He’s unique,” said George. “There’s not a lot of bigs that you can throw the ball on the block and get a basket. Him keeping extra possessions alive, him going for offensive rebounds, it’s definitely a weapon. It’s great when he’s clicking and we’re rolling.”
Best of the Rest:
- Jerami Grant is averaging career-bests in points (11.8), rebounds (4.7), steals (0.8) and three-point percentage (38.5 percent) so far this season, while shooting 50.8 percent from the field overall on a career-high 8.6 attempts per game. Grant already has 38 dunks this season, on pace to blow away his previous career-high of 70.
- Dennis Schroder is making an early Sixth Man of the Year case by averaging 16.6 points, 4.7 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.03 steals per game this season, while shooting 34 percent from three-point range and 86 percent from the free throw line.
- Since returning from ankle injury on Dec. 3 against the Detroit Pistons, Terrance Ferguson has shot 42.9 percent from three-point range, averaging 5.3 points per game over the last 9 games.
- Nerlens Noel is averaging career-highs in blocks per-36 minutes (3.7) while chipping in 5.3 points on 57.7 percent shooting and 5.0 rebounds in 14.2 minutes per game.
- Rookie Hamidou Diallo is averaging 5.6 points per game, 6th-highest on the team, and is shooting 48.6 percent from the field including 63.8 percent within three feet of the rim, a remarkable number for a guard.