Oklahoma City Thunder: Key Points From Preseason Game 2

The Oklahoma City Thunder easily accounted for Turkish club side Fenerbahce Friday, winning 111-81. The result, of course, was never in doubt, but it was a great opportunity to see how this Thunder team is progressing under Billy Donovan.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the game.

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Kevin Durant is still awesome

Yep, just in case there was any doubt about Kevin Durant’s return to the court, this dunk put any lingering doubt to bed.

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Durant, who finished the game with 13 points, looks like the same player we saw prior to his foot issues. Barring any more injuries, fingers crossed, he’ll continue to play at an MVP level.

Russell Westbrook Efficiency Check

Russ didn’t have the best shooting night, going 0-for-3 from the 3-point line, but still scored 16 points from 14 shots, mostly on the back of a nice post-up game. It’s a nice weapon to have in his arsenal; he’s too big and strong for most point guards to handle in the post. Let’s see more of that and fewer long 2-pointers, please.

He was also very dangerous in the pick-and-roll game, leading to many easy points for both Enes Kanter and Steven Adams. Looks like Billy Donovan will be using plenty of pick and rolls this season; great news Thunder fans–the days of watching iso after iso are gone.

Starting Center Watch

Steven Adams started the game, which could be a clue for who the starting center will be this season. Kanter looked dangerous playing with the speedy second unit. He was on the end of some easy points in transition — he runs the floor well for a big dude. If Kanter does indeed come off the bench, he’s going to destroy second-unit defenses.

Starting big men have a hard enough time guarding him, let alone backups.

The Best Offense Is A Good Defense

For people who think playing a defensive specialist was a Scott Brooks trait, think again. Andre Roberson looks entrenched as the starting 2 guard, and it’s easy to see why. Roberson came up with four steals in just 20 minutes of play, with the majority leading to fastbreak points. He also went 2-for-2 from the field, which included a 3-pointer!

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If Roberson keeps doing that, this Thunder offense is going to be very hard to stop.

Dion Waiters is the backup … point guard?

In what could be a sign of things to come, Waiters was playing point for the majority of the time he was on the court. And he actually looked good.

Could it be he’s been playing out of position this whole time? He certainly looked more comfortable running the offense, as opposed to sitting in the corner waiting for Westbrook to pass him the ball.

If pre-season is any indication, Waiters will be leading the second unit this season, playing the Jamal Crawford role.

Apr 7, 2015; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Dion Waiters (23) dunks the ball against the San Antonio Spurs during the second quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

So far so good for the Thunder. The players are looking good, the game plan seems solid, and most importantly they’ve avoided any injuries. Hopefully, that can continue for the rest of the pre-season and into the real season.

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