We all know the two blockbuster deals that the Oklahoma City Thunder made this summer to upgrade their roster. All-Stars Paul George and Carmelo Anthony joined reigning MVP Russell Westbrook to make a run at the top of the Western Conference.
Interestingly, both the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers are shocking everyone as they both have a better record than the Thunder, as Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis have been able to shine with Indiana and New York’s Kristaps Porzingins has been unleashed onto the world.
When searching for culprits as to why OKC has struggled with this seemingly solid roster, don’t look at their defense, which is ranked second in the NBA in defensive rating.
With Paul George, Andre Roberson and Steven Adams anchoring their defense, teams have struggled under the Thunder’s ball pressure, pursuit and shot contesting, which has made them a team no offense wants to face.
If the Thunder is struggling, it’s due to their offense. Last year Westbrook won the MVP award averaging a triple-double. The argument was that he needed to do so much because the team had so few weapons.
This year that is not the case, however, one of his main weapons hasn’t adjusted to the inevitable decline of playing in the NBA for 15 years. The way the Thunder’s offense is run “Melo” is trying to isolate the same amount of time he did with the Knicks and as a result, he’s struggling mightily.
Anthony doesn’t elevate well, meaning that many of his drives to the basket are easily contested and result in too many misses. Melo’s isolation has become a team demoralizer as nobody moves once he gets the ball.
More importantly, he’s not even making the easy-spot shots when his talented teammates create opportunities for him. Either those shots have been so tough or contested that nobody could make them consistently or he misses because he fails to get the proper elevation out of his tired legs.
Paul George’s game has also taken a big step back. Last year in Indiana he was very efficient and excelled when running the pick and roll. Anthony’s struggles are killing George’s numbers.
Due to the Thunder’s offensive struggles, now defenders can contain and defend the shots with little problems as Westbrook is suffering from lack of movement without the ball when compared to last year.
Although he’s a great player, that can do a lot of great things with the basketball he usually brings the ball up the court and makes a pass to start the offense and then simply backs up or walks around in the same general behind the arc, instead of moving to a new spot after initiating the offense.
This lack of movement may not be costly against bad defensive teams, but against good defenses, it hurts their ability to get good shots.
The Thunder is last in the league (by a wide margin) in passes per game and there is no flow with the team’s offense. Every action the players perform is separate and they’re forced to wait for each other to get into position and this allows the defenses more time to better defend their attacks.
If that continues to occur the Thunder will have a tough time not only finding a way to win consistently but also becoming one of the top teams in the Western Conference. First and foremost, it’s urgent for head coach Billy Donovan to find a solution to these offensive struggles and turn the team into a solid playoff contender.
