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Sharpen Up the Offense, Commit to Moving It – OU Medicine Game Day Report: OKC vs. SAC

Broadcast Information

  • Tip-off: 6:00 p.m. CT
  • Television: Fox Sports Oklahoma
  • Radio: WWLS the Sports Animal and the Thunder Radio Network

California is in the rear-view mirror. With eyes forward, the Thunder is locked in on their upcoming homestand, and getting a precious first win of the 2018-19 regular season.

Against the young, rebuilding but exceedingly talented Sacramento Kings headlined by Buddy Hield and 2nd overall draft pick Marvin Bagley III, Head Coach Billy Donovan is instructing his club to rely on their offensive principles of speed, crisp movement and boundless activity to make the team’s debut in Chesapeake Energy Arena a positive one.

On the road trip, the Thunder’s offense didn’t do enough to help out the defense. Putting pressure on the Kings’ defense all night long, stretching their coverages across the floor and forcing them to take the ball out of the net will allow the Thunder to get back and set up in the halfcourt. That means trusting the offensive system and committing to principles of ball movement and downhill attacks.

“We’ve gotta be able to move and attack and have multiple paint touches,” Donovan said.

“Especially on made baskets, if we want to play with tempo and pace, we have to be able to get into stuff,” Donovan explained. “Everybody has got to be on the same page.”

Too many times against the LA Clippers on Friday, the Thunder came flowing down into the frontcourt only to have a ballhandler take a couple dribbles around a high screen and take a two-point jump shot on the move. In today’s hyper-efficient NBA, that simply isn’t good enough.

Regardless of the type of rim protection provided by youngsters like Willie Cauley-Stein, Skal Labissiere and Harry Giles, the Thunder has to be willing to relentlessly make headlong dives towards the rim, while still scoping the floor for open passing lanes and opportunities for kickouts. Those choices must be decisive, and the cohesion seamless for as much of the 48 minutes as possible.

“We’ve gotta execute better,” Donovan said. “We’ve gotta run offense and we’re not going to be able to just rely on guys just trying to create and manufacture shots. We’re going to have to do it together.”

“Clean up a couple possessions, clean up our execution, take care of the ball and just get quality shots,” forward Paul George said. “We’re more than capable of getting ourselves some quality looks.”

Over the first two games, the Thunder is averaging 35 three-point attempts per game. That’s certainly above league average and with the priority to generate three-pointers, it can be a positive. But it’s also a sign that the Thunder isn’t getting enough high-quality shots in the lane. Part of that is the opposition’s strategy to pack the paint and prevent drivers like Dennis Schröder and Raymond Felton from carving into the teeth of the defense. As a result, the Thunder is going to have to start knocking down some jump shots.  

“We’re going to have to take threes to open things up because of the at times we’re being guarded, teams are protecting the paint and trying to take us out of the lane,” Donovan noted. “There’s still things that we can do to generate plays down to the basket, plays at the rim.”

News & Notes

-        A major catalyst for attacking drives may be returning to the Thunder quite soon. As of Saturday afternoon, Russell Westbrook’s status for the Kings game on Sunday is uncertain, but he did go through a high-intensity workout at shootaround in Los Angeles before the Clippers game. Westbrook has been encouraging teammates to stay aggressive, even a 5-time All-Star like George. Westbrook and George are clearly the co-leaders of the group, and while Westbrook is out, George is taking on the responsibility to setting the group in motion.

  • “We have one of the best players coming back to our team at some point,” George stated. “I still gotta get this group ready to go. I gotta get this group ready to win games regardless of if Russ is out there or Russ is not.”
  • “You try to get rhythm as soon as possible and as fast as possible,” George said. “Regardless of who is in, who is out, I have to bring my game.”

-        No matter when Westbrook returns to the fold, the Thunder should have plenty of time, at home, to work him into the flow of the team. After Sunday’s matchup with Sacramento, the team will have three days before a Thursday night clash with the Boston Celtics. Then the homestand continues with games against the Phoenix Suns and LA Clippers again on Sunday and Tuesday respectively.

  • “The good thing is we have a lot of days in between all these games that we have coming up at home,” Felton said. “It gives us a chance to get in practice and work on things and just try to figure it out.”
  • “I’m not worried at all but at the same time I’m not satisfied with where we’re at,” Felton continued. “We got a lot of work to do and we’re going to do that.”

Watch: Ignite OKC