Oklahoma City faces test against Warriors Friday

The Oklahoma City Thunder have won 10 of their last 11 games and now find themselves with the best record in the NBA. We all know that they can light up the scoreboard offensively with the combination of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, but it’s been their increased efforts on defense that have propelled them to a 15-3 start. Basketball experts had predicted another big season for the Thunder, but I’m almost certain that none of them had any idea that they would be so dominate. Friday’s match-up against the Golden St Warriors may seem like nothing but a formality, but as many teams have found out in the past, the Warriors have the ability to blow teams out at home.

Despite having the best record in the league Oklahoma City has just a 2 game lead in what many NBA experts consider the toughest division in the league. The new look Nuggets are capable of keeping pace all season long, and Utah and Portland can make things interesting if the get on a hot streak. The one glaring weakness on OKC is their inexperience. They are one of the youngest teams in the league, which may hurt them in terms of maintaining their focus for each and every game. The things that they don’t do well may bite them before the year is over. They rank 25th in assists which means that they rely heavily on shooting and breaking down opponents man to man. Pure talent can only get you so far, and going against some of the better defensive teams in the league will certainly test their character down the road.

Another glaring issue is that Westbrook and Durant account for the majority of their offense. James Harden is quickly becoming one of the best players in the league off of the bench, but the drop-off from these three players to the rest of the pack is huge. Serge Ibaka is 4th on the Thunder in scoring with a 7 point per game average. As long as the Thunder can remain healthy and focused they can go a long way in the playoffs, but that remains to be seen.

It’s obvious that the Warriors are destined to be bottom dwellers once again this season, and a 6-11 start virtually guarantees them no shot at making the playoffs once again. Unlike the Thunder, Golden St knows how to move the ball around in order to create open shots and give themselves the best opportunity to score. Their offense is led by one of the most under-rated and underappreciated players in the NBA. Ellis averages almost 22 points per game, and dictates ball movement as he also leads the team with over 7 assist per contest. The Warriors were without one of their best players for 8 games as Stephen Curry sat out with an ankle injury. Curry is one of the most pure shooters in the league, and gives this team a viable second option offensively. Portland found that out the hard way on Wednesday as they were beaten by 8 points.

NBA handicappers have the Thunder listed as 4.5 point road favorites for Friday’s match-up, but I have a feeling this one could be much closer than expected. Tune in as Golden St tries to get another feather in their cap and build some momentum with a win at home against Oklahoma City.

 

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3. Oklahoma City & New Orleans Battle for Playoff Seeding
4. East & West Collide: Orlando vs. Oklahoma City
5. Western Conference Clash: Phoenix Suns vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

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