Thunder vs Rockets: Pregame Primer

vs.

Rockets (8-1, 5-0 road) vs. Thunder (3-7, 2-2 home)

TV: FS Oklahoma/NBA TV
Stream:  Click here
Radio:  WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 1300 AM The Buzz Tulsa)
Time: 6:00 CT

Offensive Rating: Thunder – 100.1 (28th), Rockets – 106.9 (13th)
Defensive Rating: Thunder – 105.0 (14th), Rockets – 96.4 (1st)

The Thunder missed a golden opportunity Friday night against Detroit and fell to 3-7. Tonight they get the 8-1 Rockets who come in ranked 2nd in the Western Conference. James Harden leads the league in Total Points (236) and ranks 2nd in Points Per Game with 26.2. Harden has been both potent and efficient leading the league in Win Shares as well as Defensive Win Shares along side teammate Dwight Howard — I know, I know… #samplesizetheatre.

Trevor Ariza was brought in to replace Chandler Parsons who’s now a very rich Dallas Maverick. Ariza ranks 9th in Defensive Rating and 5th in 3-pt Field Goals Made which means Daryl Morey has spent the majority of this NBA Season in front of a mirror flexing shirtless.

Reggie Jackson’s averages: 22.4 ppg, 8.1 apg, 4.0 rpg. That’s like… good. Reggie also leads the league in minutes per game right at 42. Jackson has played the majority, if not all, of the 2nd halves the last couple games which comes with a give and take. Jackson is the Thunder’s offense right now so of course you want him playing max minutes, but about halfway through the fourth quarter on Friday Reggie looked gassed. We’ll see if Brooks tries to spell Jackson in the 3rd quarter with Telfair or if he lets him go the distance.

*Climbs on soapbox

Anthony Morrow has only played in three games and one of them on a minutes restriction, but Scott Brooks has to figure out what he has — and doesn’t have — in Morrow. Morrow was destructive against Boston and most of it came from catch-and-shoot situations where he spread the floor for Reggie and as a result had open look after open look.

Morrow isn’t near the athlete Lamb is, yet he’s being run off of multiple screens that for the most part are just taking up precious shot-clock seconds (related: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was fantastic defensively on Morrow in these situations).Lamb has the quickness and footwork to free himself coming off of pin downs and down screens that Morrow doesn’t. It could be him working back from the MCL sprain, or it could be just Brooks trying things. Maybe both?

All that to say, run Lamb off screens, let him use his length to get into the paint and score. Morrow is just as affective simply keeping his man out of the paint and providing one of the most lethal drive-and-kick options in the entire league. Let your shooter be a shooter.

*Climbs down.

Injury Report

Perry Jones, OUT – Knee. Andre Roberson, OUT – ankle.

Patrick Beverley, Probable – Hamstring. Troy Daniels, Questionable – groin. Tarik Black, Questionable – leg. Terrance Jones, OUT – nerve contusion.

Friday’s COTN: “Slamb Dunk” – @ThunderGunner

Punny.

Don’t forget to nominate comments using #COTN. Look for tonight’s winner in Tuesday’s Primer.

3 Big Things

1. Harden. As Thunder fans know, James Harden gets to the foul line like no one else in the league — currently ranks 1st in attempts and makes. Forcing Harden into jump shots and away from the free-throw line will be big.

2. Discipline. Houston likes to run for layups or threes and nothing in between. Staying disciplined in transition defense and stopping the ball can take away a real weapon of this really skilled offense.

3. Avoiding the Lull. Every game this season the Thunder has experienced a stretch of a quarter, if not the entire quarter, of putrid ball and player movement. Thanks to some below-average offense from recent opponents the Thunder have been able to stay close, but against Houston these stretches are suicide.

Tip at 6:00 CT. Go Winter Thunderland.