Thunder vs Nets: Pregame Primer

vs.

Nets (4-7, 1-4 road) vs. Thunder (3-10, 2-3 home)

TV: FS Oklahoma
Stream:  Click here
Radio:  WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 1300 AM The Buzz Tulsa)
Time: 7:00 CT

Offensive Rating: Thunder – 98.8 (29th), Nets – 107.0 (17th)
Defensive Rating: Thunder – 105.0 (11th), Nets – 107.3 (28th)

It’s the battle of the wounded in Oklahoma City tonight as the Nets, losers of its last five games and the Thunder, its last four, square off tonight at The Peake. The Nets are coming off a triple-overtime loss at home to the Bucks and look to get a win for the first time since Nov. 9.

Oklahoma City comes in with familiar struggles and unfamiliar noise surrounding its team. The Thunder now sits alone at the bottom of the Western Conference standings at 3-10 and the free fall might not be over. With every loss the challenge gets for KD and Russ to stand up to. So what gives?

4 Big Things

1. Offense. Oklahoma City’s offense ranks 29th in the league at just under 90 points per game. The Thunder’s magic number seems to be 100. With the exception of Wednesday night in Denver, each time the Thunder reach 100 points the team wins, but getting there seems to be a bigger and bigger struggle.

With Durant and Westbrook, scoring 20 points in a quarter is all but a given. Without them this season, the Thunder has failed to reach 20 points in a quarter 17 times. 17!

Generating good looks for quality shooters in their spots has led to wins. The Thunder get a Nets squad tonight that will give up those looks, but can OKC make enough of them?

2. Steven Adams. Most people thought Adams’ biggest struggle with more minutes would be staying on the floor and not getting into foul trouble. So far this year he’s done a good job (3.6 fouls per game) at limiting the cheap ones and being available late in games. However, his production when he’s on the court isn’t anything like we saw in the first few preseason games.

His per-36 numbers are right at 10ppg and 10rpg on 50% shooting and almost 2 blocks. That’s solid production, and those numbers have a chance to go even higher if a few more free-throws fall. Maybe more minutes is the answer for Adams (only averaging 26 per game, compared to Perk’s 20)?

Tonight Adams gets Brook Lopez who had 18 and 6 when these two teams met back on Nov. 3. Returning the favor of foul trouble early on could have a big impact on Brooklyn’s flow in the first half. #ActivateFunaki

3. Eliminating ‘The Others’. Somewhere in the 3rd quarter against Denver Nate Robinson hit 3’s on back-to-back possessions and it felt like a 30-point swing as the Thunder called timeout. It was a reminder of how small Oklahoma City’s margin for error is with this roster.

In their meeting on Nov. 3 the Nets got 18 points (7-8, 4-4) off the bench from Alan Anderson in just 16 minutes. Those are the guys the Thunder has to eliminate to stay in games. Outbursts from role players become death warrants for a team this depleted and this offensively challenged.

4. Andre Roberson. Roberson is starting tonight in place of Lamb. So there’s that.

Wednesday’s COTN: “I’ve always loved Sebastian Telfair’s jump shot.” – @OBoy (LaFamilia)

Let Bassy be Bassy.

Tip at 7:00 CT. Go KD and Russ are practicing tomorrow.