Oklahoma City Thunder: A recipe for an elite offense
The Oklahoma City Thunder should have one of the deadliest offenses in the NBA, assuming they integrate Paul George and Doug McDermott properly
The Oklahoma City Thunder’s Russell Westbrook had a record-breaking triple-double MVP season, but the team lost to the firepower of the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs.
This year, the team should groom their long-range weapons more than their low post bangers just to even up matchups the offensive juggernauts in the Western Conference.
OKC Thunder GM Sam Presti is know for pulling rabbits out of hats that turn into military-grade space station studs (think Ryo-Oki from that timeless anime Tenchi Muyo). After adding Jerami Grant and Doug McDermott to their young core over the course of the last year, Presti did something even more impressive this summer.
The Thunder made a coup, trading young stretch-five Domantas Sabonis and shooting guard Victor Oladipo for All-Star shooting forward Paul George from Indiana, before the Celtics or Lakers could grab him.
Paul George and Doug McDermott on the Thunder spell trouble for opposing teams this coming season.
George had a tough time carrying the Pacers on his shoulders last year because of team chemistry and issues with their coach. But on a free firing team, George may shine as a go-to guy whose only task is to put the ball in the basket.
Doug McDermott should have been the Bulls’ primary offensive weapon for all of the last two years, had the team not wasted time babysitting an overachieving Jimmy Butler.
Butler only works in slow-paced offensive scheme. McDermott, on the other hand, can light it up for his team at any point during the course of a game.
The thing with both the Guided Missile McDermott and Paul George Destroyer is that their games should be set-up during the course of games – McDermott also has the ability to post up on the low block, and isn’t limited to shooting threes.
George is clearly more offensive rounded. He can shoot from anywhere on the court and excels most when he’s given the green light to be aggressive.
Steven Adams and Enes Kanter should have less on-ball opportunities and more off-ball, weak side diving duties instead of post ups. It should be McDermott and George who should be groomed to be the scorers that Russell Westbrook looks for most when he is the playmaker on the floor.
The uptempo game has taken over as the status quo in the NBA, and the Oklahoma City Thunder are built for just that style.
Unlike other teams who almost have to play at a much slower pace (because of their roster construction), the Oklahoma City Thunder in overdrive with the shift from Kanter and Adams as secondary offense, to putting the scoring load onto McDermott and George. Both could potentially score 30 on any given night (McDermott scored 15 consecutive points in under 10 minutes last year and 20 points in one quarter the year before for the Bulls) and still have Russell Westbrook get his triple-double numbers because of the quick offense both bring to Billy Donovan’s retooled team.
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Expect Battleship Oklahoma City Thunder Fleet action coming up this season.