Consider this… Charlotte entered Monday night’s game against the Thunder as losers of 7 of their last 8 games sporting a record of 9-16. This was not a team renowned for three point shooting excellence, but on this night the Hornets exposed the Thunder for what they are currently, that being a team with no identity on either end of the basketball floor. On the night, the Hornets shot 17-24 from beyond the arc. That’s 70.2% if you haven’t done the math in your head.
It was actually a somewhat decent first half with the Thunder looking as okay as a team of dysfunction can be, but then once again it was a third period meltdown in which Charlotte won 40-22. The Bobcats lead grew to 20 points. OKC did come back from twenty down to the Memphis Grizzlies, but this wasn’t that Memphis team on this night in that the Hornets actually have a few players who can shoot.
The Thunder take will be Andre Roberson sat this game with a sore ankle and Alex Abrines had to start in his place. No one more than me respects what Andre brings to the table, but as a team you have to be able to adjust. This wasn’t Golden State, Cleveland, Boston, Houston, or San Antonio–this was the Charlotte Hornets coming in as a team going nowhere.
Of all the Thunder losses to date, this might be the most damning because it came at home on a night when the Thunder could have reached .500 with a win over the Hornets. Home court for this Thunder team had been the last vestige of hope this team could pull their act together and at some point find themselves as a team.
Instead–this Thunder team of confused identity heads east on a three game road swing against Victor Oladipo’s Pacers, my Sixers, and Enes Kanter’s Knicks. If the Thunder come back home after this swing at either 12-17 or 13-16 it will be interesting to see how all around the team react to the situation.
Is this Billy Donovan’s fault all by himself? No, but he is the coach and is being paid handsomely to coach the team. Is it Donovan’s fault this team looks more disoriented on December 12th than they did on the opening day of training camp? Yeah, that’s his fault. That’s what coaches are paid to do. Adjust to situations. Adjust to injuries. Adjust to the schedule. Adjust… and most of all find a way to motivate your players.
But if Sam Presti fires Donovan then who would he hire to coach his faux Super Team?
A coach named Phil Jackson never figured Carmelo out. A coach named George Karl never really figured Carmelo out. What would make a reasonable person think Billy Donovan is going to figure Carmelo out?
So as I sit here … I really don’t know what to think. Will the Thunder respond in Indiana on Wednesday or will they wilt?
Hard to tell, but with a 3-10 road record to date, you have to figure this little three game swing will tell us much about the Thunder’s team character or lack of it.
Good thing for me Lon Kruger has a freshman point guard named Trae Young who might be the best college player in America this season. That’s what it’s come to two weeks before Christmas…that being–hope morphing into reality.
Hope needs a kick start in Indiana.