A guide for Oklahoma City Thunder: Five Ways to stop the Dallas Mavericks in game-2 (Part 1)
The 2011 Western Conference finals series continues on Thursday night as the Oklahoma City (OKC) Thunder and the Dallas Mavericks meet in game-2. Dirk Nowitzki showcased a shooting show in game-1 as the Mavericks took down the
Thunder 121-112; a statement victory that gave Dallas the all important lead in the series.
On Monday night, the Thunder appeared to be suffering from the aftershocks of the gruelling seven game series against the Memphis Grizzlies. None of their players except the do-all forward Kevin Durant shone that night. The Thunder
will have to put a full game together tonight if they are to head to Oklahoma City Arena for game-3 with the series tied.
Here are the five adjustments; the Thunder must make to stop the Mavs in the second game of the best-of-seven final series:
Step 1: Double-team the German Machine
The performance of Dirk Nowitzki in the series opener clearly showed why he is one of the best shooter's of his era and one of the toughest players to guard of all time.
The German sharp-shooting machine was the difference maker for Dallas in the previous game and erupted with a game-high 48 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocks. In addition to that, Dirk hit a perfect 24-for-24 from free
throws, toppling the record of most consecutive free throws in a post-season game, in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Thunder tried several different combinations to slow down the Maverick juggernaut, but he found his way every time. Oklahoma City started off with forward-centre Serge Ibaka, who badly failed to control the seven-footer. They then
switched between Nick Collison, Kevin Durant, and Thabo Sefolosha, but no one was able to handle the one-man show.
The frequent changes against one player in a game clearly show that the OKC had no clear back-up plan to guard the 32-year-old. Therefore, they have to re-work their strategy. The best move will be to double-team Dirk, as he is
too big and has too many moves to be held in check by a single player.
The tactic might force Nowitzki to dish the ball out to his guards Jason Kidd or DeShawn Stevenson. This will have a double-effect. First, Nowitzki might be the most prolific shooter in the league, but he is certainly not reputed
as a great play maker. By forcing him to make assists, OKC will have a greater chance to disrupt the Mavs style of play, one which centres on Nowitzki. Secondly, the Mavs guards are good but they are not exceptional, as Nowitzki is. By forcing them to make
the shots, OKC can surely cut down on the shooting percentage of the Mavs.
Step 2: Get Russell Westbrook firing again
Russell Westbrook has to repeat the sort of performance, he displayed in the game-7 of the semi-final series against the Memphis Grizzlies, where he had a triple double with 14 points, 14 assists, and 10 rebounds in the victory.
However, his performance in the opener of the finals was not that impressive, although he had 20 points in the defeat but he went 3-for-15 from the field.
In order to lead the team to the victory, the 22-year-old has to realize that he is the point guard and not the shooting guard. He has to make the plays for his offense, especially Durant rather than concentrating on his jump shots,
which in reality, are not that impressive.
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