Preseason Thoughts: Thunder 122, Wolves 99
A few stray thoughts from watching the Thunder smoke the young Timberwolves on a grainy internet stream:
- Kevin Durant and Russell Westbook picked up where they left off. It’s been a pretty simple thing every sane person has been saying the last eight months, but it played out as evidence tonight: When Westbrook and Durant are on the floor together, the Thunder be good. Very, very good. Westbrook was absurd in his 22 minutes, almost triple-doubling with 14 points, eight rebounds and 13 assists. Durant got going in the third quarter, finishing with 15 (5-8 shooting) and four assists. Both were a +21.
- Steven Adams sat resting his back (he should be available Friday), and Enes Kanter was very solid starting and playing alongside Durant for the first time ever. He had 16 on 8-10 shooting plus six rebounds and two assists, and played what appeared to be whatever defense. Serge Ibaka was nearly flawless, scoring 18 in 20 minutes on 8-12 shooting. And he had a really good block on Zach LaVine that almost disappeared somewhere into eternity as this game wasn’t seen by anyone with available Vineing ability. Luckily, those highlights got it.
- Dion Waiters was pretty effective in 23 minutes — 10 points, six rebounds and four assists. Which including this sexy dime to Kanter.
- Great stat from Anthony Slater that probably means little because it’s preseason against a bad team: The Thunder had 34 assists tonight; their season-high last season was 31.
- White shoes with the road blues looks terrible. Don’t do that, Thunder.
- Cam Payne played 10 minutes, scoring six points with two assists. He hit two 3s and did a few nice things. Nothing all that notable.
- Karl-Anthony Towns looks good.
- Mitch McGary could sneak up as a major X-factor this season. He had 11 (5-8 shooting) and three assists plus six boards in 23 minutes. He still had his normal maniac hustle routine going, but he was much more polished in the pick-and-roll. I just get this feeling by the end of the season McGary could blossom into a guy people are saying, “Man, where did he come from?”
- Lot of wondering of what looked different with the Billy Donovan era kicking off. Hard to really draw much from a meaningless exhibition, but there certainly appeared to be more of a focus in moving the ball and not dribbling it into space. There were more ball reversals and more dribble hand-offs to initiate action. But we’ll have to wait and see to really get an idea of how things are changing. And we’ll also have to see it in a, you know, real game.
