OKC’s home 128-100 blowout loss to the dysfunctional Chicago Bulls was in a word alarming. Losing at Cleveland and Sam Antonio isn’t a big deal because in both of those road games the Thunder hung around. The Thunder didn’t hang around versus the Bulls, rather they looked like a very tired worn out ball team playing without a bench. In this one, it wasn’t just an offense issue because no one on the Thunder team looked like they could get in front of a pylon.
OKC stands 28-22 entering tonight’s home game against Memphis. It’s very simple, OKC lost their most consistent offensive bench player in Enes Kanter. The team has a problem without an easy solution. The problem is made worse by the fact both Andre Roberson and Cameron Payne are playing some really ugly basketball on both ends of the floor. Both of these guys should be in OKC’s top six players. If you combine the loss of Kanter with both of these guys going awol there’s no way OKC can compete night in and night out.
In all candor I’m not sure what Billy Donovan should try other than telling Payne and Roberson to suck it up and play much better on both ends of the floor. The one thing I might try is to give Nick Collison some minutes, especially tonight since OKC is hosting a team made for Nick Collison in the Memphis Grizzlies. See if Collison’s smarts and savvy can create a spark of something positive.
Give it a shot, see what happens. Ostensibly that’s why you carry a fifth big on your roster for times when you’re crippled by a integral player breaking his own arm on a chair.
But more than anything, Steven Adams, Victor Oladipo, Andre Roberson, and Cameron Payne just need to play better. Much better.
Big game for the Thunder tonight in Oklahoma City.