Opening night is only three days away, and for today’s countdown focus let’s take a look at fast break opportunities and what that means for the Thunder.
Last season, Oklahoma City was 3rd in the NBA in fast break points with 16.9 per game. A large part of the Thunder’s success was due to Russell Westbrook’s ability to grab defensive rebounds and get out in transition immediately. Typically, though, for the Thunder to score in the fast break, Westbrook was the guy that had to make something happen. This is definitely in his skill set, but imagine how much better the team could be in transition if he had some reliable shooters to kick the ball to when the paint collapses.
Enter the new season with a new squad that features several quality shooters, and the Thunder’s chances of increasing their transition scoring go up. Westbrook is not likely to continue rebounding at the pace that he did last season, but if he can still manage to get the ball and control the fast pace in transition, then points are bound to come with ease.
Not only will the Thunder be able to continue what they did in transition last season, but they are likely to create even more fast break opportunities with the expected improvement of defensive pressure. One way or another, this group of players should find themselves with a number of different chances to score in transition.
Article written by Zack Low. Follow @TheThunderGuys on Twitter and Instagram.