Oklahoma City Thunder need to make some adjustments ahead of game 3 – NBA Feature
Before the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat started, it was common perception that the OKC side has more depth than Miami as far as the offensive options were concerned, but the heroics of one man from
the South Beach has changed it all .
That man is Shane Battier.
Battier has had two big games in the NBA Finals, scoring 17 points in both games the majority of which have come from beyond the arc. Battier has been hot from the distance so far in the two games of the NBA Finals, going 9 of
13.
He averaged 33.9 percent from beyond the arc this season and the huge jump in his shooting is one of the main reasons the series is tied at 1 game apiece. Battier is giving options to the Heat offense and posing trouble for the
Thunder. His 17 points in both games gave Miami a life line and now they hold the aces as the series moves to Florida.
The Thunder have so far not highlighted Battier as a threat and in both games, they have paid for it.
With the series tied, the Thunder need to address the Battier phenomena. The problem is simple. Battier is left open on the perimeter which is allowing him to have open looks at the basket and he is knocking the shots down one
after another.
Serge Ibaka is the man supposed to be guarding Battier but Ibaka’s strong forte is his ability to block shots and take rebounds. For that reason, Ibaka likes to stay near the basket and contest James and Wade as they drive into
the paint. This leaves Battier open on the perimeter and a simple pass out to him will have him in perfect position to score a three pointer.
The solution to the problem is simple. Have someone else guard Battier. Ibaka can handle Bosh as he has the size advantage over Bosh. This means that Perkins would have to take on Battier. But Perkins is too slow to defend Battier.
The ultimate solution to the problem is for the Thunder to start James Harden instead of Kendrick Perkins and play with a small combination that is quick on its feet to effectively defend the perimeter against Miami.
Harden is the reigning sixth man of the year and Coach Scott Brooks has used him very well so far this post season. Altering his team’s rotation might seem like a risky move but not having a game plan for Battier could come back
to haunt the Thunder later on.
Perkins is a solid centre, who is strong at going to the board and taking rebounds. However, the Heat do not have a traditional centre player in their line up who can cause problems in the paint. The closest they get to an effective
centre is Chris Bosh and he is a power forward. Playing Perkins off the bench in rotation might give the Thunder that edge in speed that they need to play their game against an athletic Miami team.
The Thunder thrive on transition basketball and their biggest strength is their ability to turn missed possessions by opponents into transition plays. When the opponent’s defence is allowed to settle down, the Thunder are not as
dangerous. Hence, they need to add some pace to their game and a small starting line up could be just the change to throw Miami off their game plan and defend Battier.
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