RUSSELL RETURNS
Westbrook offense puts game in rapid fire
The ball whipped back and forth between Carmelo Anthony and Russell Westbrook like ping-pong – Anthony-to-Westbrook-to-Anthonyto-Westbrook – before Westbrook finally drove baseline and passed to the cutting Andre Roberson for a basket.
Westbrook’s time was limited. So was the Thunder’s time with the ball in its hands.
“If he passes it to you and you’re open and you don’t shoot it, he’ll get mad at you,” Anthony joked about Westbrook. “That’s something that since he’s been in practice with us, it’s something we’ve been working on.
In his first game action
of the preseason and facing a restriction on playing time, Westbrook had nine points and four assists in 10 first-quarter minutes in the Thunder’s 10291 against New Orleans in front of a raucous Chesapeake Energy Arena crowd.
Yes, raucous. The Thunder’s second preseason game wasn’t just a first for Westbrook, who is two weeks removed from receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection in his left patellar tendon. It was the first time for the 18,000plus – for the NBA world – to see the Westbrook/ Anthony/Paul George trio on the court together for the first time.
The result? Even if its engine at point guard wasn’t attacking at every opportunity, for the six minutes and 40 seconds the three played together, the Thunder’s offense didn’t hesitate.
“We want to play fast, quick,” said Anthony, who
had nine points and six rebounds in 17 minutes. “… and I think with Russ you almost have to play quick.”
“Russell’s gonna dictate that,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said of the pace. “One thing that’s encouraging, and I think we can get down the floor even better, is because Carmelo is such a good handler and passer, and so is Paul.
“I don’t know if we’re going to play necessarily faster, but certainly that’s something that’s a priority for us, to get missed shots and run.”
In the speed of the game, there was balance, with George and Westbrook each finishing the first quarter with five shot attempts each, Anthony with four. In that balance, snippets emerged of what could become of the Thunder offense.
Steven Adams snagged a rebound and quickly passed ahead to Westbrook, who immediately attacked and dished off to George in transition. George missed the shot attempt at the rim, but the pace and theme was set: See the shot, take the shot. Sorry, shot clock.
According to NBA.com/ stats, the Thunder was fourth in the NBA last season in frequency of shots taken between 18 and 22 seconds on the shot clock, and eighth in pace, or possessions per 48 minutes. With George and Anthony aboard, there may be another tier to reach.
The quick triggers were followed by slightly off-shooting starts for Anthony and George in their second Thunder games – a combined 8-of20 in the first half. But similar to his second half against Houston, George’s offense emerged when he was the primary scorer.
With Anthony still on his minutes pattern from the Rockets’ game (17 minutes, all in the first half) and Westbrook cozy in his blue warm-up top, talking to his brother across the court during timeouts, George went 3-of-4 from the field in seven third-quarter minutes to finish with a game-high 25 points in just 27 minutes, finishing with efficient numbers from each level (7-of-14 overall, 3-of-7 3-point field goals, 8-of10 free throws).
Before George’s efficient third quarter, Westbrook linked up with his All-Star teammates in their limited minutes. There was the game of hot potato with Anthony. George flanked Westbrook on the break and didn’t hesitate to hoist a right-wing 3 when the quick pass arrived.
With 2:02 left in the first quarter, Westbrook was subbed off around his standard time. It’s early into the WestbrookGeorge-Melo marriage. Their isolation skills may slow the game down once the regular season hits. But it was rapid fire with Westbrook back Friday.
“We don’t know, we’re just playing ball right now,” Anthony said when asked if the Thunder wants to increase the pace. “We’re trying to see what works, what doesn’t work.
“When the time comes, we’ll see what works and we’ll stick with that.”