Los Angeles Lakers: How to expose the Oklahoma City Thunder defense

Let’s take a look at the defensive vulnerabilities of the Oklahoma City Thunder and how the Los Angeles Lakers can take advantage of these weaknesses.

The Los Angeles Lakers are currently undefeated against the Oklahoma City Thunder this season. But can Los Angeles transfer their regular-season success against the Thunder into a potential playoff series?

The answer is yes, as long as Lakers head coach Frank Vogel can design an offensive game plan centered around the pick and roll. The Thunder’s defense is currently surrendering  the12th-highest field goal percentage against the pick-and-roll ball handling as the ball handler is shooting 43.1 percent from the field on 17.8 attempts per game.

Their field goal percentage within the pick-and-roll has allowed opponents to score the 10th most points as they average 20 points per game on 22 possessions. Oklahoma City struggles against the pick and roll are related to the team’s desire to play tight defense. Thunder guards are usually within a foot or two of their defensive assignments.

The decision to play tight defense often puts them into a position where they have to waste a couple of seconds maneuvering around the screener’s hip, which allows the opposing ball handler to get 1-2 steps ahead of them.

The strategic vulnerability puts their big man in a no position as they have to decide whether to come up to defend the guard or be near his assignment. Steven Adams prefers to stay close to his assignments which gives the ball handler an open shot on the other side of the screen.

A prime example of this can be found early in the second quarter of a home game against the San Antonio Spurs when Jakob Poeltl set a screen for Patty Mills at the top of the key. The screen was successful as Mills’ defender Dennis Schröder couldn’t get around the pick.

Consequently, Mills had an open look after he went over the screen because Adams decided not to switch defensive assignments. Adams didn’t want to give Poeltl a free path to the basket.

On the other hand, Nerlens Noel prefers to come up to defend the ball handler giving the opposing big man a free path to the basket. For instance, midway through the second quarter of a home game against the Portland Trail Blazers when Hassan Whiteside set a screen for Damian Lillard at the top of the key. The screen was successful as Lillard’s defender Luguentz Dort couldn’t get around the pick

Consequently, Noel decided to rotate over to stop Lillard from shooting an open three or attacking the basket. Noel’s decision put the rest of the team in a position where they had to rotate over to stop Whiteside from attacking the basketball. Unfortunately, Darius Bazley wasn’t able to rotate over time, leading to Lillard passing the basketball to Whiteside for a dunk.

Noel’s tendency has led roll men to shoot 61 percent from the field against Bazley on 0.3 attempts. The field goal percentage has contributed to roll men scoring 0.5 points per game against him.

Bazley pick and roll statistics contributed to the team’s vulnerability against the roll man. The Thunder’s defense is currently surrendering 14th highest field goal percentage against the roll man as they’re shooting 53.9 percent from the field on 6.7 attempts.

Their field goal percentage has allowed roll men to score the 8th most points as they allow 8.7 points per game on 7.7 possessions. Pick and roll accounts for 26.5 percent of the production that opponents are able to get against the Thunder as opposing teams average 108.3 points per game.

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Oklahoma City’s struggles against the pick and roll will hurt them in potential playoff series against the Lakers as Los Angeles has several players who excel in the pick and roll. For example, LeBron James has shot 47.3 percent from the field on 4.6 attempts per game. His field goal percentage allowed him to create 5.9 points per game on 6.1 pick and roll ball handler possessions.

James also has the ideal pick and roll partner in Anthony Davis, who has a track record of thriving as a roll man. Davis has shot 52.4 percent from the field on 3.7 attempts per game. His field goal percentage allowed him to create 4.9 points per game on 4.4 roll man possessions.

The team’s game plan won’t disintegrate when Davis and James go to the bench as Dwight Howard and Rajon Rondo have thrived in the pick and roll. Rondo has shot 44.5 percent from the field on 3.5 attempts per game. His field goal percentage allowed him to create 3.5 points per game on 4.7 pick and roll ball handler possessions.

On the other hand, Howard has shot 62.4 percent from the field on 1.1 attempts per game. His field goal percentage allowed him to create 1.6 points per game on 1.4 roll man possessions.

Unfortunately, Davis’ preference to play power forward can put the success of this game plan in danger. Davis publicly acknowledged that he wants to limit his minutes at center because playing the position takes too much of a physical toll.

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Davis’ comments have incentivized the team to play him alongside another big man over 60 percent of the time. Davis is on the court with JaVale McGee or Howard for 21.9 minutes per game.

Sadly Howard and McGee aren’t known as shooters as they have attempted 0.1 threes per game since 2015. Consequently, opponents can have two defenders near the basket at all times.

The lack of shooting from the center position has lessened floor spacing for the rest of the team. Diminished floor spacing has played a vital role in perimeter players taking a significant amount of their field goal attempts from behind the arc.

For example, James has taken 32.4 percent of his field goal attempts from behind the arc, a 2.5 percent increase from last season. Sadly, 3-point shooting hasn’t been James’ strong suit throughout his career as he has converted 34.4 percent of his field goals on 4.3 attempts per game.

Consequently, the Thunder can put James’ defenders below the 3-point line, further restricting the floor spacing. For example, all three players can stand near the basket eliminating a path Davis to attack the basket as a roll man. Therefore, James would have to take an open three or pass the basketball to reset.

However, it would be a different story if Davis agrees to play center as coach Vogel can replace McGee with an extra shooter. An additional shooter would put more pressure on the defense as they had to decide whether to guard the shooter.

If the Thunder guard the extra shooter, Los Angeles would have the standard pick and roll defense, increasing the likelihood of success. On the other hand, if Thunder left the additional shooter open, James can pass him the basketball for an uncontested three.

In conclusion, Davis’ decisions will determine how successfully the Lakers can be at exposing Oklahoma City’s defense in a potential playoff series.