Offense learns importance of sticking to identity
Sometimes games can mimic entire seasons. Those 48 minutes play out like the movie trailer of all 82 contests in a year.
“If something is not working, I think you have to ask why it's not working,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said last week when asked how flexible the Thunder's playing style will be this season.
In other words, informed adjustments are good, but don't be too quick to scrap an entire approach because of result.
OKC's 107-70 preseason l oss at Dallas on Monday painted a bleak picture of what can happen to a team's season if it doesn't take time to consider the “why."
The idea was there in the Thunder's third offensive possession Monday night. But the play, with designed cuts and handoffs, didn't quite work.
Donovan called to Dennis Schroder and Danilo Gallinari, giving them the play.
It was less than two minutes into the Thunder's third preseason game, so he didn't mind the Mavericks knowing who the primary players would be in this possession.
Schroder passed to Gallinari as he moved to the top of the arc. Gallinari then handed it back to Schroder. Thunder center Nerlens Noel shuffled to the perimeter like he was going to set a screen, but instead he changed direction and ran toward the basket, leaving his defender behind him. At the same time, Schroder took one dribble and tossed a lob to Noel.
The pass, however bounced out of Noel's hands.
Why didn't the play work? Noel a nd Schroder hadn't mastered the timing yet. But the movement was promising.
“We have to play together, we have to help one another,” Donovan said after the game. “I thought early on we started trying to do that, but we missed some shots, things weren't going our way, the lead got up to eight or 10, and then I think we had too many guys trying to make too many individual plays, and then it snowballed form there.”
With veterans Chris Paul and Steven Adams getting the night off to rest, not only did the Thunder's shooting (32.6 percent) and offensive rebounding (six) decline, but so did i ts ability to recover from bad possessions.
“Our rhythm wasn't good,” Gall in ari said .“We' re not sharing the ball at the right time, finding guys at the right time.”
It became a widespread phenomenon.
Noel missed a shot from the top of the arc with 15 seconds on the shot clock.
Schroder brought the ball from one end of the floor to the elbow of the other, clanged a pull-up jump shot, and failed to draw a foul. Point guard Sh aiGi lg eu sAlexander tried to bee line all the way across the floor, found he couldn't bulldoze Dallas forward Maxi Kleeber, and missed a layup.
“You get some stops, you have a good offensive possession, generate a good shot, that's how you have to get back in it ," Donovan said. "But, we obviously dug ourselves a hole in the (first) half. And third quarter I think we came out and tried to do some good things.”
Too little too late. The Thunder already trailed 57-38 at halftime.
Why? OK Chad a bandoned i ts emphasis on ball movement.