OKC Thunder play elite defense as offense catches up to open season

On By Littum

The Thunder’s 3-0 start has been unsettling. For the rest of the NBA, that is.

Because here’s the scary truth: Oklahoma City is outscoring opponents by an average of 19.3 points per game. game, not playing his best basketball. Not even close.

What will happen when the Thunder start making shots? With prized free agent Isaiah Hartenstein and possible rotation pieces Jaylin Williams and Kenrich Williams back in the fold? When the Thunder pair up, what would a top-five offense be with this lockjaw defense?

Spines should be shaking across the Western Conference.

Before the games tipped Monday, the Thunder were ranked 18th in offensive rating, scoring 109.2 points per game. 100 possessions. That put OKC between Brooklyn and San Antonio. Behind teams like Detroit and Charlotte.

Small sample, sure, but notable for what it says about the Thunder’s defense. How does a team with a bottom-half offense rank second in the West by point differential?

By having the NBA’s best defense. The best to a frightening degree.

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OKC is allowing 90.8 points per game. 100 possessions. Second is Golden State, allowing 95.9 points per game. 100 possessions. Those are the only two teams with a defensive rating south of 100 — which no team has finished a season with since the Spurs in 2015-16.

That’s an unsustainable brand in the modern NBA. The Thunder’s defensive rating will fall back.

But even when OKC’s shots aren’t falling — which they eventually will — the Thunder have proven that its defensive baseline will keep it in games, even win them.

“The impact of an individual game can be very noisy on both ends of the floor, but the things that can be constant are your level of competition and your level of togetherness,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “We talk all the time about competing together as a team and being who you are. You can bring that with you every night.”

OKC exploded for 39 points in the fourth quarter Sunday night against Atlanta. It was a 12-minute look at just how overwhelming OKC’s offense — which ranked third in the NBA last season — can be.

The Thunder led the league last season in 3-point percentage (38.9%). Through three games, OKC is 28th in 3-point percentage (27.6%).

OKC was third in field goal percentage last season. So far this season, tied for 17th.

And yet, no team has played the Thunder within 10 points.

“Obviously you shoot every shot to get it … Sometimes they just don’t go in,” said Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has shot south of 50% in each of his first three games. “That’s the game.

“But the things you can control are your defensive effort, your hustle, your communication – those things we like to control every game. Because of that mentality, we’ve been able to start the season 3-0 and give ourselves a chance in these games.”

Just wait until the shots start falling.

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Joe Mussatto is a sports columnist for The Oklahoman. Got a story idea for Joe? Email him at [email protected]. Support Joe’s work and the work of other Oklahoma journalists by purchasing one digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.