Discipline on the defensive end, for the entire 24 seconds of the shot clock and all 48 minutes of the game is a nearly impossible task, but the Thunder wants to lock in as much as possible as it rings in the New Year tonight.
In a matchup against the Phoenix Suns, the Thunder will look to bounce back from some slow starts on the defensive end over the past few games and play to its identity on that end of the floor. It hasn’t been against specific offensive sets where the Thunder have had some miscommunications and missteps, but rather in broken plays and in scramble situations.
In order to get a sufficient number of stops to get the win tonight, the Thunder will have to keep an eye on their defensive assignment instead of just the ball.
“It’s just being more physical, guarding the three-point line and we’re watching the ball a lot on the defensive end,” forward Kevin Durant diagnosed. “When the ball goes in the post we’re watching and guys are cutting behind us and getting offensive rebounds. We have to be better.”
As for Phoenix, the Thunder knows that just because an opponent is reeling a bit doesn’t mean that it can be taken lightly. The injury to Eric Bledsoe took away an aggressive playmaker for Phoenix, but it has a complementary one in Brandon Knight as well.
“Brandon Knight can shoot it and get to the rim just as well and make plays,” Durant said. “He’s the head of the snake and we have to control that.”
On the other end of the floor, the Thunder will look to simply play its style and brand of basketball, trying not to fall into the trap of picking up its pace higher than it would normally like.
“They try to bait us into playing fast and shooting a bunch of shots,” Durant explained. “We have to be disciplined and we have to be efficient. We have to play together and if the shots come we have to take them, but we can’t force it.”
Most of all, the Thunder wants to play well, make improvements as a team and continue to make strides as a group in order to develop the entire team as a whole. By doing that, the results on the scoreboard will follow, which will hopefully prove true tonight. If the Thunder executes on both ends, it can move to 7-1 in “Opening Night” games, and kick off the New Year for Oklahomans the right way, with a win.
“It’s always good to celebrate at home,” Durant said. “We’re always excited to play in front of our home crowd the night before the New Year. We’re excited to tonight and we’re looking forward to the challenge.”
Broadcast Information:
Tip-off: 7:00 p.m. CT
Television: Fox Sports Oklahoma
Radio: WWLS the Sports Animal and the Thunder Radio Network
