Thunder 88 -Pistons 104 | Rapid Recap

The Thunder GuysNovember 15, 2016 No Comments

The Thunder suffered their fourth straight loss 104-88 to the Detroit Pistons. This was a game where it seemed Russell Westbrook showed up with tons of energy, but no one else did. Westbrook couldn’t seem to miss early, but had no help from anyone else. After a bad start on offense and subpar defense, the Thunder trailed 59-47 at halftime.

Oklahoma City struggled to stay in the game during the second half. The team cut the lead to 10 several times, then couldn’t get the stop they needed on defense. After having the 4th ranked defense in the NBA through seven games, the performance this last week has been disappointing. Detroit was able to score at will a majority of the night, and that was what ultimately sealed the deal for them.

Russ Needs Help

Russell Westbrook continued to do Russell Westbrook things tonight. He shot 11-21 from the field for 33 points, and added 15 rebounds, and 8 assists to that. He has continued to do all he can every game for OKC this year, but there hasn’t been the right support around him. A lot of guys were stepping up for the Thunder both offensively and defensively during the franchise best 6-1 start.

Two guys come to mind when I think of players that need to step up for this team. Victor Oladipo and Steven Adams have got to contribute more to this team on a consistent basis to earn their money. The two combined for just 13 points on 5-20 shooting.

Take More Shots!

The Thunder starters need to take more shots. Andre Roberson, Domantas Sabonis, and Steven Adams only took a combined 11 shots tonight. There were 5 bench players for OKC that took more shots than three of our starters. These guys are not having a horrible season shooting the ball, they just aren’t shooting enough.

If these guys aren’t getting the ball than that’s one thing, but that is not the case here. Westbrook has done a great job all season at distributing. I have seen all three of these guys show a lack of confidence in their shot. That is something you cannot have as a starter in this league. I’d like to see how this team looks when all three of these guys create shots for themselves and take the open looks they are given.

Moving Forward

It’s important to remember this is a long season, and there will be plenty of ups and downs throughout. This team is capable from what we saw earlier this year of going on a big win streak. The momentum and confidence of this team can shift at any moment. The Thunder will be back in Oklahoma City on Wednesday for the start of three straight home games. They will take on the Houston Rockets at 7:00 PM. It will be televised on FSOK and broadcast on the radio at WWLS 98.1 FM.

Article written by Craig Hofeld. Follow @TheThunderGuys on Twitter and Instagram.

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