OKC Topic Thunder

An OKC Thunder Podcast & Blogsite

Thunder @ Toronto Raptors preview (Game 22 of 82)

Posted on December 5, 2024 by Alex Roig

Oklahoma City Thunder (16-5) at Toronto Raptors (7-15)
When: Thursday, 05 December 2024 at 6:30pm CST
Where: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
Offensive Rating – TOR: 112.0 (18th) / OKC: 114.7 (8th)
Defensive Rating – TOR: 115.0 (22nd) / OKC: 103.9 (1st)
Net Rating – TOR: -3.0 (20th) / OKC: 10.8 (1st)

The Set-Up

When I look at the Toronto Raptors, I get a sense of Deja Vu. It’s almost like the Thunder can look at the Raptors and question whether they’ve seen this movie before. A team that had a good run of it (hell, even got a championship out of their window) and then decided they needed to switch into rebuild mode. To make it even more similar, they hired themselves a coach that used to coach the Thunder’s G-League team and was an assistant with the Thunder for several years in Darko Rajakovic. In addition, they decided to stack their cupboard with young players and assets. Sound familiar yet? Well, how about this last little tidbit? The rebuilding Toronto Raptors play hard every game…kind of like the Thunder did when they were coming up several years ago. To the point where, in the East, they may be, dare I say, too good to tank. Even though they are sitting eight games under .500, they are just a game and a half out of the 10th spot in their conference. The Raptors may be rebuilding, but this won’t be an easy game.

This is the first of two meetings this year between these two teams. The Thunder have won 3 of the last 4 meetings dating back to the 2022-23 season.

Betting Info

Line: OKC -9.5
O/U: 226.5

Injury Report

OKC

Ousmane Dieng – OUT (finger)
Alex Ducas – OUT (hip)
Chet Holmgren – OUT (hip)
Nikola Topic – OUT (knee)
Jaylin Williams – OUT (hamstring)

TOR

D.J. Carton – GTD (ankle)
Ulrich Chomche – GTD (illness)
Gradey Dick – GTD (calf)
Kelly Olynyk – OUT (back)
Jakob Poeltl – GTD (illness)

Three Big Things

Manning The Middle – The Raptors lead the league in points in the paint and are last in the league in percentage of points from the 3-point line. This plays heavily into the Thunder’s defensive plan of attack, as they like to sink in to protect the paint, while flying out to contest 3-point shots. But it’s the Thunder, so you know someone on the Raptors who has struggled shooting from deep has a high possibility of breaking out in this game (here’s looking at Davion Mitchell and his 27.8% 3-point shooting percentage).
Rebounding – If there is one place where the Raptors may stay in the game with the Thunder, its on the boards. The Raptors are 2nd in the league in rebounding, 4th in total rebounds, 1st in Offensive Rebound percentage, and 3rd in 2nd chance points. Jakob Poeltl and the big wings of Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett do a good job of cleaning up the glass. If there is anything that galvanizes a young team, especially at home, it’s usually 2nd chance points. Hopefully, the Thunder can withstand the minutes where Isaiah Hartenstein is not on the floor.
Homecoming – It’s always a fun time when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort return back to their home country and show out. It’s even provided SGA with an avenue to breakout his new signature logo as the face of Converse.

https://twitter.com/CrainNBA/status/1864718571143618570

Thunder @ Denver Nuggets preview (Game 8 of 82)

Posted on November 6, 2024 by okctopicthunder

OKC Thunder vs Denver Nuggets: Betting Odds, Game Preview, Keys to Game

Oklahoma City Thunder (7-0) at Denver Nuggets (4-3)
When: Wednesday, 06 November 2024 at 8:00pm CST
Where: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Offensive Rating – DEN: 114.5 (7th) / OKC: 110.9 (19th)
Defensive Rating – DEN: 113.0 (17th) / OKC: 93.8 (1st)
Net Rating – DEN: 1.5 (11th) / OKC: 17.1 (1st)
TV: FanDuel Sports Network – Oklahoma

The Set-Up

This is the second meeting of the season between these two division rivals. The Thunder won the first game 102-87 behind an incredible (and as we’ve come to expect) defensive effort. The Thunder have now won four straight meetings against the Nuggets dating back to last season.

Betting Info

Line: OKC -7.5
O/U: 223.5

Injury Report

OKC

Isaiah Hartenstein – OUT (hand)
Nikola Topic – OUT (knee)
Jaylin Williams – OUT (hamstring)
Kenrich Williams – OUT (knee)

DEN

Vlatko Cancar – Doubtful (ankle)
Aaron Gordon – OUT (calf)
DaRon Holmes II – OUT (Achilles)
Jamal Murray – OUT (concussion protocol)

Three Big Things

Free Throws – Surprisingly, for a team featuring Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder rank dead last in both free throw attempts and makes. If Oklahoma City is trying to emulate Boston’s style of offense, they are forgetting to allow the threat of 3-point shots set-up their ability to drive to the basket. SGA, usually a staple at the top of the drive per game stat, ranks 4th in drives at 19.4 drives per game. The “free throw merchant” is only averaging 5.7 free throw attempts per game in this early going. Jalen Williams is the next highest on the team at 2.6 FTA per game. While this has yet to be an issue for the team, free throw attempts and scoring were a major part of the Thunder’s game plan last season.
Injured Animal – This game is good in testing the Thunder’s psyche. It’s human nature to look at your successes and wonder why you have to keep working so hard if you are going to succeed regardless. The Thunder find themselves facing an injured Denver squad that is missing two of their main components in Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon and likely looking to play in desperation mode in order to keep up in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. An injured animal is a dangerous one…unless the animal on the opposite side has a dangerous mindset also.
Tired Chet – While Chet may be playing less minutes this season, he is shouldering a lot more of the load, especially as the defensive anchor on the best defense in the league. Add to that the fact that both his back-ups (Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams) are both out with injury, and you start to see why Holmgren is looking tired so early in the season. He has to guard the opposing team’s best big and usually, that involves a large discrepancy in mass and strength. He has held his own, don’t get me wrong. But he hasn’t had a chance to breathe early on in this season.

Thunder @ Portland Trailblazers preview (Game 5 of 82)

Posted on November 1, 2024 by okctopicthunder

Oklahoma City Thunder demolish the Portland Trail Blazers by 62 points in record-breaking win | CNN

Oklahoma City Thunder (4-0) at Portland Trailblazers (2-3)
When: Friday, 01 November 2024 at 9:00pm CST
Where: Moda Center, Portland, OR
Offensive Rating – POR: 107.2 (25th) / OKC: 108.5 (23rd)
Defensive Rating – POR: 113.0 (15th) / OKC: 91.3 (1st)
Net Rating – POR: -5.8 (23rd) / OKC: 17.1 (3rd)
TV: FanDuel Sports Network – Oklahoma

The Set-Up

Trap games. These are the games where a dominant team can get tripped up. We saw it last season. The Thunder head into Detroit for a matinee game on Super Bowl Sunday and get absolutely demolished by the Pistons. Maybe looking ahead. Maybe not respecting the opponent, but it happened. As the Thunder start the season at a blistering pace, especially defensively, these are the types of games where they could get tripped up if they don’t bring it. For great teams, these games can become “meh” games. But for the opponent, this game may be their early season Super Bowl.

This is the first of four meetings this season between these two division rivals. The Thunder swept the season series last year, winning the first two games collectively by 105 points, while then winning the final two meetings by 10 points combined. One game in the 2nd half of the season even necessitated a Jalen Williams game-winner.

Betting Info

Line: OKC -11.5
O/U: 221.5

Injury Report

OKC

Isaiah Hartenstein – OUT (hand)
Nikola Topic – OUT (knee)
Jaylin Williams – OUT (hamstring)
Kenrich Williams – OUT (knee)

POR

Shaedon Sharpe – OUT (shoulder)
Matisse Thybulle – OUT (knee)
Robert Williams III – OUT (hamstring)

Three Big Things

Give and Take – So far this season, the Thunder have absolutely punished teams who turn the ball over. They lead the league in steals and blocks as a team, force the most turnovers in the league, and score 19.4% of their points off of turnovers. Portland, on the other hand, is the 5th worst team at protecting the ball, coughing it up 17 times a game.
Defensive Rebounding – While the Thunder have improved immensely in the rebounding department, the reality is that Chet Holmgren is the only true big that can play currently. Portland trots out a pretty physical big man duo in DeAndre Ayton and rookie Donovan Clingan, while having Jerami Grant at the 4. Portland grabs 13.8 offensive rebounds per game (6th in the league) and score 19 points per game in 2nd-chance points (4th in the league). If there is any facet of the game where Portland may sneak up on the Thunder, it’s in this department.
SGA inefficiency from deep – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has struggled a bit from deep this season. He is currently shooting 27.3% on 8.3 3-point attempts per game. But what about the rest of his game? He’s still shooting 51.8% on 2-point shots and 90.5% from the line. He’s increased his assist numbers, while keeping his turnovers low. He is one of the leaders in stocks on the defensive end. The 3-point shot thing may just be an extension of the preseason. Just trying things out. In fact, Dylan Huntzinger (@Thunderchets on Twitter) lays it all out in a recent article.

Let It Rip: Why you’re probably overreacting about Shai’s 3 ball

Posted on November 1, 2024 by Dylan Huntzinger

We have been blessed as a fanbase to see a superstar blossom right in front of our eyes in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The centerpiece of the Paul George trade, we have watched him go from bench guy, 3rd option, to running the show. And run it, he has.

Over the last four seasons, Shai has led the league in drives per game in three of those four seasons. Shai has boasted the efficiency of a wing player, shooting over 50% from the field and averaging about six free throw attempts per game.

Because of this, the fanbase, and the NBA at large, have associated Shai’s game to three things: driving to the basket, shooting the mid range jumper, and getting to the free throw line.

And he’s been pretty good at it. Averaging over 30 points per game in each of the past two seasons, Shai is widely considered one of the top 5 player in the world and is on the shortlist for MVP for everyone who has a pulse.

So, going into his 7th season, fresh off back to back All-Star appearances, being named a starter in the All-Star game, and being a back to back 1st Team All-NBA recipient, many people think Shai should just stick with what got him there, and leave well enough alone.

But that’s not Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

He summed this up in 2021, with a banger of a quote.

“I’m not playing this game just to be a good basketball player. I want to be one of the greatest to ever play.”

He is always adding to his game. Whether it was the stepback, catch and shoot 3, off ball defense, playmaking, etc., Shai has gone into the lab every offseason, and every offseason he comes out acting different.

I imagine him stepping into a lab (for some reason this one I’m picturing in my head has automatic sliding doors) normal Shai, but after some time, when he emerges from the sliding doors, smoke billows out of the room with a green haze in the background, and somewhere, somehow, an organ is playing and angels are singing. Anyways, back to the point.

Is it awesome that he is a top 5 player in the world right now? Absolutely. Would it be easy to just continue what he’s doing now? Absolutely. Could he have similar success doing exactly what he has done the past couple of seasons? Absolutely. (Topic: Thunder listeners have drank themselves into a coma with all the absolutely) BUT, Shai doesn’t want what he already has, Shai isn’t ok with the status quo, Shai doesn’t want to just go through the motions and be remembered as just another good player.

He’s on some Ash Ketchum energy. This dude wants to be the very best, like NO ONE ever was.

So yes, he will continue to add to his game, and we have the fruits of those seeds he planted the offseason (IN THE LAB).

He looks engaged and disruptive when he is playing on ball defense.

His playmaking reads are sharper than ever, and he’s making passes we have never seen him make. Live dribble skip passes from one end of the court to the other, one hand dump offs to a cutter, hitting the roller in stride, hitting the shooters in their pockets; consistently.

But one addition to his game that has been met with uproar and outrage by a large (and troubling) portion of the Thunder fan community, is his increased 3 point shooting volume.

First off, it fits Sam Presti’s ethos to a T. Exploration, and experimentation are the reason you see the roster you see today for the Thunder. Presti has tried things, failed at things, and succeeded at things. All in all, he collected data, learned from his mistakes, enforced his correct decisions, and now we have a juggernaut in Oklahoma City.

It’s not different with Shai. Yes, that dude is and has been unguardable, but if he learns how to shoot high volume, off dribble, pull up 3-pointers, he will become unstoppable.

It adds a new weapon to your offense that opponents have to account for. They can’t build a wall in the paint and dare Shai to shoot middy’s over it. Shai can force them to play him close, and then it’s curtains. Play him to close, he’s blowing by you. Sag off on him just enough, and he’s comfortable and confident to pull that 3 in your eye; without having to first simulate the drive and get to his stepback.

That’s the why he should do this, (which I feel should be fairly obvious?), let’s get into the why now.

It’s simple. We are 4 games into the regular season.

Continue reading →

San Antonio Spurs vs. Thunder Preview (Game 4 of 82)

Posted on October 30, 2024 by okctopicthunder

San Antonio Spurs' Losing Streak Continues in Oklahoma City Thunder Blowout - Sports Illustrated Inside The Spurs, Analysis and More

San Antonio Spurs (1-2) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (3-0)
When: Wednesday, 30 October 2024 at 8:30pm CST
Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
Offensive Rating – SAS: 108.1 (24th) / OKC: 109.2 (18th)
Defensive Rating – SAS: 114.1 (16th) / OKC: 90.8 (1st)
Net Rating – SAS: -6.0 (22nd) / OKC: 18.4 (2nd)
TV: ESPN

The Set-Up

I don’t want to over-react, but what the Thunder is doing so far this season is historic. Their defense has been exceptionally great. The fact that it hasn’t really mattered that the offense has been average, at best, and they are still beating teams by an average of 19.3 points is amazing to me. The Thunder’s Guard Dawgs (Lu Dort, Alex Caruso, and Cason Wallace) have caused fits for perimeter players, while Chet Holmgren patrols the paint to the tune of 4 blocks per game (1st in the league) and 13 rebounds per game (3rd in the league). In addition, you have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams ball-hawking the passing lanes. If the Thunder’s offense ever jumps into the Top-10, this team could be looking at being historic for margin of victory also.

This is the first of three meetings this season between these two teams. The Thunder won the season series last year 3-1, with an average margin of victory of 33.3 points.

Betting Info

Line: OKC -12.5
O/U: 221.5

Injury Report

OKC

Isaiah Hartenstein – OUT (hand)
Nikola Topic – OUT (knee)
Jaylin Williams – OUT (hamstring)
Kenrich Williams – OUT (knee)

SAS

Tre Jones – OUT (ankle)
Devin Vassell – OUT (foot)

Three Big Things

Chet vs. Wemby – One of the budding rivalries in the league. This had Christmas Day game written all over it. You dropped the ball on that one, Silver. Luckily, all three of the meetings this year are nationally televised games. These two players always get up for this match-up. And rightfully so. This rivalry has the possibility of being an all-timer when it is all said and done between these two. Many of their match-ups last season were cut short by the score of the game, but the one game where the Spurs won, it showed how intense this rivalry could get.
Pace – The Thunder and Spurs find themselves on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to pace. Oklahoma City is 3rd in the league, while San Antonio is currently 28th. It’s no surprise when you look at the point guards for each team. That said, Chris Paul is still savvy enough to know how to control the pace and be efficient while doing it. But as long as the Thunder use their defense to jump-start their offense, there should be no reason why this game isn’t in the Thunder’s favor pace-wise.
Jalen Williams – There’s a lot of buzz around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren…and deservedly so. J-Dub, the third part of that triumvirate, has yet to really catch his rhythm this season. As good as he is though, it’s only a matter of time. He showed signs of shaking off his preseason ankle injury in the last game and here’s hoping that continues moving forward.

OKC @ Denver Nuggets Post-game Thoughts (1/82)

Posted on October 25, 2024 by Alex Roig

Oklahoma City starts the season with a resounding 102-87 victory over the Denver Nuggets. Here are some post-game thoughts.

Thunder’s defense was in mid-season form. Held the Nuggets to 36.5% shooting for the evening. Had 13 blocks and 9 steals, while forcing 15 turnovers. Hands and arms everywhere. Deflections, recovering, bothering the hell out of Jokic. It was a master-class.
The Thunder’s depth is going to be a PROBLEM for the league.
This team can flip a switch quickly. They were down 9 at the halfway point of the first quarter. They finished the quarter up by 7. Once the Thunder got their altitude legs under them, it was off an running.
Player of the Game: Chet Holmgren – 25 pts, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 4 blocks. Just a game full of MF’er energy. His Defensive Player of the Year campaign is off to a great start. Was more physical and banged on the boards, grabbing 14 rebounds (4 of those on the offensive end). Had the play of the game with the denial of Jokic on one end and the hammer on the other end.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was his great, consistent self. 28 pts, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks. MVP! If you want to focus on one play to signify his leadership, look no further than the play in the fourth quarter where Denver threw the ball away over the half-court line and SGA full-on sprinted to the Thunder’s side of the court to get the ball and score a transition lay-up. Mind you, the Thunder were up by 16 at that point with 4 minutes left.
Aaron Wiggins messed around and got a shoe deal with Under Armour before the game. Then goes out and starts his own 6th Man of the Year campaign, putting up 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks. He was a stabilizing force on the floor throughout the game, hitting big buckets at times in the game when the Thunder needed them.
Jalen Williams had a quiet game, but he was great in the beginning of the 4th quarter with SGA and Holmgren on the bench. He finished the evening with 12 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks. Was more of a facilitator this evening, and that’s alright. There will be nights where his scoring is needed and nights, like today, where his ball-handling/facilitation is needed.
Check out Alex Caruso’s line: 0 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists….and a team high +19!!!! He was a disruptor the entire evening and was key to spurring the Thunder’s run in the first quarter that put them up for the rest of the game.
Mark Daigneault is 2/2 on coach’s challenges so far. He called a great timeout ijn the beginning of the 3rd quarter when Denver came out the gates and put a little run together. After the timeout, the team settled down and coasted from there.

Great start to the season. Next up: At Chicago on Saturday.

Thunder @ Denver Nuggets preview (Game 1 of 82)

Posted on October 24, 2024 by Alex Roig

Oklahoma City Thunder (0-0) @ Denver Nuggets (0-0)
When: Thursday, 24 October 2024 at 8:00pm CST
Where: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
TV: TNT

The Set-Up

There hasn’t been a more anticipated season for the Thunder than this upcoming season. You can maybe argue the 2012-13 season where the Thunder were coming off a Finals appearance. Or maybe the 2015-16 season where the team was stacked with talent, but also a ticking timebomb. But for some reason, this season feels different. Maybe it’s the wide-open nature of the league, where a new champ has been crowned the last 6 seasons. Maybe it’s the fact that this feels like the most cohesive and deepest team in Thunder history. Maybe it’s the fact that youth is still on our side and we still have one of the most, if not the most, coveted asset chest in the league. Whatever it is, the vibes are still immaculate, the calendar is starting on a new season, and hope is springing eternal. It’s the first step in the journey. Game 1. Thunder Up!

This is the first of 4 meetings this season between these two division, conference, and possibly, championship-contending rivals. The Thunder won the season series last year 3-1, winning the last three games of the series after getting trounced in their home-opener.

Betting Info

Line: DEN -1.5
O/U: 227.5

Continue reading →

Thunder vs. Pelicans – Game 4 Adjustments

Posted on April 29, 2024 by Alex Roig

Series: OKC leads 3-0
When: Monday, 29 April 2024 at 7:30pm CST
Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA
TV: NBATV/BallySportsOK (WTF?)

Game 3 Notables

New Orleans was held to 28.1% shooting from deep, while OKC registered 47.2% from distance.
Lu Dort and Josh Giddey tied for the most 3-points made on either team with 4 each.
The Thunder forced 20 turnovers.

Game 4 Adjustments

Close-out Game – This is always the hardest game from a mental standpoint. Take into account that this is the Thunder’s first close-out game under this recent iteration. The only players on the team that have any sort of experience in close-out games are Mike Muscala, Bismack Biyombo, and Gordon Hayward. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort were part of a Game 7 against Houston in the 2020 Bubble, but lost that game in close fashion. Psychologically, the Thunder have to be tougher than ever in order to avoid a let-down due to being up 3-0 in mostly dominant fashion. As we’ve seen in these playoffs, you don’t want to leave anything up to chance. If you can avoid playing games and avoid injuries, you do that if at all possible.
Continue playing your game – There hasn’t been any over the top performances by the Thunder players in this postseason. It’s been a hard-hat and lunch pail approach in these first three games. Force turnovers. Hunt the best shot. Focus defensively on the opponent’s top guys. Block another Trey Murphy III dunk attempt. Listen to the Coach of the Year. Rinse and repeat. Oklahoma City had a plan heading into this series and are executing it flawlessly. Any deviation from this norm could prove to be detrimental.
Watch out for shenanigans – The Pelicans will be in desperation mode. The refs, in an effort to see this series extended, may either allow more than usual contact or may have a quick whistle. Either way, the Thunder will have to be smart about how they defend and will need to keep their cool, which will eventually be tested.
Congratulations to the Coach of the Year, Mark Daigneault. – MVP next???
The Ultimate Disrespect – If you are wondering why the Thunder shunned Allie LaForce on the TNT post-game interview after Game 3 in favor of Nick Gallo, look no further than to what is happening tonight. The game tonight will be televised on NBATV….only if you have NBATV and only if you live outside of the OKC and New Orleans viewing area. Unfortunately, if you live in the OKC and NO viewing area and have NBATV, you will be blacked out from watching the game unless you have Bally Sports. If you are blacked out and chose not to get Bally Sports (such as myself), you will have to either illegally stream the game or watch it on a gamecast. This is so wrong, on so many levels. But, hey, we’ll remember that the next time you want to interview the guys and Nick Gallo is standing there waiting.

Thunder vs. Pelicans – Game 3 Adjustments

Posted on April 26, 2024 by Alex Roig

Series: OKC leads 2-0
When: Saturday, 27 April 2024 at 2:30pm CST
Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA
TV: TNT

Game 2 Notables

The Thunder’s starting line-up outscored the entire Pelicans team, 108-92, in Game 2.
Thunder forced 17 turnovers, while only coughing it up 8 times in Game 2.
Pelicans are shooting 26.7% from three in the series, so far. OKC is shooting 39.3% from three.

Game 3 Adjustments

Prepare for the zone – There was a point in the 2nd quarter of Game 2 where the Pelicans were looking for something to get them back in the game and deployed a zone. The zone has given the Thunder fits all season and it allowed the Pelicans to cut an 18-point lead to single digits. The Thunder adjusted by putting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at the top of the key and allowing him to hunt for avenues to get into the teeth of the defense. After a couple successful trips down the floor, the Pelicans reverted back to their more traditional defense and the zone wasn’t deployed again. With that said, you can bet the Pelicans will look at film and try to explore ways to successfully deploy the zone again.
Survive the initial onslaught – First road game for this team in the playoffs. There are bound to be nerves. It is almost inevitable that the Pelicans will get out to a quick start in either one or both of these next two games. Lucky for the Thunder, they’ve done the whole “get down early and eventually come back” thing throughout the entire season.
Adjust to the referees – The refs shouldn’t be affected by what players and coaches say after games. But refs are humans and they do watch games and replays after games. Did the Thunder flop on every one of the 8 offensive fouls that were called on the Pelicans in Game 2? No. Did they flop on some? (Kevin James with hands in pocket meme) I would bet my house the Pelicans don’t get called for 8 offensive fouls in a game the rest of the series. I would also bet something of value, but not as much as my house, that OKC will get hit with a flopping call sometime in these next couple of games.
Trey Murphy III – They say the 3-point shot is the great equalizer in basketball. For the Pelicans to have any chance in this series, they are going to have to find a way to get Murphy III more clean looks from three. That is what the Thunder have to prevent in New Orleans. Game 1 showed that New Orleans could “hang” with the Thunder if Murphy is being a threat. But in game 2, with Murphy completed muted, the Thunder were able to play a lot more freely defensively and blow the Pelicans out.

Pelicans vs. Thunder – Game 2 Adjustments

Posted on April 24, 2024 by Alex Roig

Series: OKC leads 1-0
When: Wednesday, 24 April 2024 at 8:30pm CST
Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
TV: TNT

Game 1 Notables

Pelicans shot 1/15 on corner 3’s, Thunder shot 3/10 from the same area.
Pelicans beat the Thunder 24-11 on 2nd chance points
Thunder beat the Pelicans 20-7 on fast break points.

Game 2 Adjustments

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – SGA had an okay game, by his standards. He scored 28 points, but was inefficient, shooting 46% from the field and 0 of 3 from deep. For the first three quarters of the game, SGA had 0 turnovers. In the fourth quarter, he had 3 HUGE turnovers. Additionally, three of SGA’s shots were blocked. Maybe it was nerves. Maybe it was the fact that the Pelicans’ defense was focused almost entirely on Shai. Maybe (hopefully) it was just a one-off. For game 2, I would like to see a more decisive Shai. Instead of stopping 8 feet from the basket to pump-fake and pivot in order to get Herb Jones or Trey Murphy III in the air, keep driving to the basket and force the refs to blow the whistle. More pick and roll action may be needed to get certain match-ups that are more geared towards SGA’s liking. When Jose Alvarado is in the game, that is the match-up that needs to be hunted. Same with CJ McCollum.
Trey Murphy – The Thunder cannot allow Murphy III to shoot that many threes. He almost single-handedly kept the Pelicans in the game when the Thunder made their runs. Murphy has the possibility of being the Pelicans’ best player in this series. The Thunder need to treat him as such.
Progress to the mean – Game 1 is entirely different if either team shoots closer to their regular season averages. I have more faith that Oklahoma City can reach those number when compared to New Orleans. Not only was the corner shooting atrocious for both teams, but the points in the paint were inefficient also. It’s a make or miss league, so hopefully making more tonight will lead to a Thunder victory.
Stop being loud on Thunder player free throws (BONUS) – Listen, I get it. SGA is our MVP and we want him to know how much we appreciate him. But, if we are loudly chanting “MVP” on first quarter free throws, I think it can throw anyone off their rhythm a bit. No one wants to miss the free throws where people are chanting “MVP” for them. Let’s wait until we are up by 8 with 22 seconds left to chant “MVP” then. Our guys will get enough distractions on their free throws when they hit the road.