The Oklahoma City Thunder opened up their preseason with a 3 pointer from Steven Adams. Yes, Steven Adams and the Thunder worked on that corner 3 pointers in practice. If OKC adds 3 point shooting to Steven Adams already dominate inside game it could be very scary for the NBA. Steven was a beast in the paint and it showed tonight as he scored 17 points. The evolution of his game could be something very special for this season. The Thunder were able to use Steven in the pick and roll with CP3 and Shai to perfection. The chemistry with the point guards and Steven was on full display as Billy Donovan went with the three-guard lineup of Shai, Dennis, and Chris to start the game. This was very effective and it caught the Dallas Mavericks off guard as they sometimes had bigs trying to stop the ball. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a game-high 24 points on the night and his points just sneak up on you. One thing about Shai’s game is the fact that he can get to the basket with ease and he’s shown a lot of growth in creating his own shot. The team has the ultimate confidence in Shai and has put the ball in his hands along with Chris Paul. Both of them together are a nice combination that can work to perfection with the way that Steven Adams has shown that he’s willing to play. This team is playing with house money and they won’t have to worry about the pressure of getting an insane amount of wins.
Chris Paul only played 17 minutes tonight but showed a lot of leadership and proved why he’s still one of the most elite guards in the league with his basketball IQ. Paul only had 6 points on the night against the Mavericks but this was a night for some of the young guys to shine like Darius Bazley. Darius had an amazing night in his first-ever NBA game and was playing with the utmost confidence. Bazley had 9 points but made the most of his opportunities and time on the court. The fact that he was confident in his jumper and attacking the rim was very key and shows that he can bring multiple things to the table for this team. Terrence Ferguson is another player that stood out in the minutes that he had tonight with 12 points and he was still slashing and defending at a high level. This Thunder team can be sneaky good and really turn a lot of heads in the NBA if they don’t take them seriously. Yes, the Mavericks were without Luka and Kristaps but they were able to still put up some big numbers. One thing that stood out is that the Thunder were in the bonus early and they were able to limit a lot of the Mavericks 3 point attempts and forced them to drive to the basket.
The Thunder play against the New Zealand Breakers next at home on Thursday night.
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