Oklahoma City Thunder: Five Questions Going Into The Season
By Joshua Lea
1. Can the Oklahoma City Thunder guard the perimeter?
Oklahoma City has always had trouble guarding the three-point line. It’s been a thorn in the side of this team for the last three seasons. Yesterday was no different, Real Madrid shot 20-for-37 from three against the Thunder.
Sergio Llull stood out on the three-point line, going 5-of-6. He also added nine assists to go along with his 22 points.
While the Thunder defended the paint really well, the game was won on the three-point line. The Thunder will have to do a better job guard the three. Guarding the perimeter will be critical this season.
With teams like Golden State, Portland, and the Los Angeles Clippers all with excellent three-point shooters, the Thunder will have to stay focused on the three-point line.
The fact that Real Madrid scored 76 points in the second half was alarming. They also chipped in 16 during overtime. While it’s only a preseason game, it was still difficult to swallow knowing that the Thunder will battle this aspect of defense during the season.
One thing that could eliminate this problem is strong rotations from the guards. Whether it’s a man-to-man or a zone defense, the Thunder will still have to rotate to the perimeter as well as the basket.
Maintaining a strong presence on the perimeter could be the key to defeating an excellent three-point shooting team in the playoffs.