3 reasons the Oklahoma City Thunder have overachieved this season
By Nolan Jensen
1) The veterans have led the way
Oklahoma’s veterans deserve credit for how this season has panned out; they’ve set the tone. Certain veterans on the team, like Chris Paul, Danilo Gallinari or Steven Adams could’ve requested for trades to contenders this past deadline or voiced their discontent early in the season—but instead, they’ve made the best of their situation.
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Paul, the recently minted 10-time NBA All-Star is averaging 17.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.6 assists while leading the league in clutch points this season.
Gallinari is averaging 19.1 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting above 40 percent from distance and 89.8 percent from the line on 4.9 attempts per game. He complements the team’s offense as an efficient scorer that doesn’t necessarily demand the basketball or is a proverbial black hole once it finds him.
Adams’ numbers may be down at 10.7 points and 9.3 rebounds, but he’s still a very reliable defensive anchor and roll man in the pick-and-roll on the other end of the court.
They’ve also gotten great production from Dennis Schroder, who is rapidly building a case for this year’s Sixth Man of the Year, and Nerlens Noel, who’s boasting better than a steal and block per contest and is enjoying somewhat of a career renaissance as the Thunder’s back up center.
They couldn’t have asked for much more than what they’ve gotten from their veterans, who have also meshed rather effortlessly with the team’s youthful talent—which we will get into next.