When: Tuesday, 13 October 2015 at 8:00 PM EST
Where: BOK Center, Tulsa, OK
The Oklahoma City Thunder are starting to show what a team featuring Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Serge Ibaka can do when healthy. There was a point in the 2012-2013 season where the Thunder were almost machine-like on both ends of the floor all while dominating their opponents. The starters would usually build up a double-digit lead and the bench would come in and either build on that lead or cut into whatever deficit the Thunder had going against them. Oklahoma City went on to lead the league in margin of victory (MOV) that season, winning games by an average of 9.2 points, all while securing the number one seed in the Western Conference.
Well, this team is very reminiscent of the 2012-2013 team. It features the big three, with two defensive-minded players in the starting lineup. The bench features an attacking ball handler in Dion Waiters that appears to be turning the page on being an inefficient player, instead letting the game come to him. It features a big, in Enes Kanter, that can score in a variety of ways. And it features a sharpshooter, in Anthony Morrow, who shot over 50 percent from the three-point line over the last three months of the previous season. While it is true that the competition in the first two games was subpar at best (a young Timberwolves team and a European team), the feeling on the outlook of this team still remains.
The Opponent
The Dallas Mavericks finished last season 50-32 and nabbed the seventh seed in the Western Conference. Their season ended at the hands of the Houston Rockets in the first round. In the offseason, the Mavericks looked to improve their guard and center position. They signed Wesley Matthews and had an agreement in place to sign DeAndre Jordan. Unfortunately, Jordan reneged at the last moment and re-signed with the Los Angeles Clippers. Dallas then traded for hometown boy Deron Williams, to round out the guard position. In the wake of the Jordan disaster, the Mavericks salvaged what they could by trading for veteran Zaza Pachulia and signing Samuel Dalembert.
As for tonight, the Mavericks will sit most of their main players for a myriad of reasons. According to Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dirk Nowitzki, Chandler Parsons, JaVale McGee, Raymond Felton, Dwight Powell, Deron Williams, and Wesley Matthews will not make the trip to Tulsa.
Probable Starting Lineups
Dallas Mavericks
- PG - Devin Harris
- SG - John Jenkins
- SF - Justin Anderson
- PF - Charlie Villanueva
- C - Samuel Dalembert
Oklahoma City Thunder
- PG - Russell Westbrook
- SG - Andre Roberson
- SF - Kevin Durant
- PF - Serge Ibaka
- C - Steven Adams
3 Things to Watch
- Minutes Distribution - Thunder head coach Billy Donovan said after shoot-around today that Durant and Westbrook will likely see their minutes increased for this game. Both players have played 22 minutes per game. Look for that to increase to about 26 minutes tonight.
- Bench - With Dallas trotting out what can only be described as a glorified D-League team, look for players like Cameron Payne, Josh Huestis, Talib Zanna, and Mitch McGary to get plenty of playing time tonight.
- Execution - The Thunder's slate of opponents so far has been underwhelming to say the least. To compare what has happened to in the last two games (and likely, tonight) and extrapolate that to the rest of the season would be foolish. All the Thunder can do is continue to work on their execution and gain more experience under Donovan's system.