Lakers @ Thunder Tuesday 5 pm R KELLY GOING TO START AT THE 4
Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2015 8:39 am
Your Los Angeles Lakers travel to to OKC to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder, coming off a win against a surging Miami team, look to continue to build a cushion between themselves and the Phoenix Suns. Thunder superstar Russell Westbrook provides a blueprint for Jordan Clarkson's game. The way Westbrook utilizes his speed is something that Clarkson should pay close attention to. Westbrook doesn't jog up the floor: it's off to the races for him just about every possession down. He will occasionally go coast to coast for the layup, but his main option is to attack before the defense is set and create for his teammates in semi-transition. And create he has. Enes Kanter, Steven Adams and Anthony Morrow have all been big beneficiaries of Russ's passing. Most opponents double Westbrook hard when he runs a pick and roll, and he recognizes this and makes good early passes. One thing he and Steven Adams does often is that Adams will run up appearing to set the pick, then run right back to the middle of the paint where Westbrook hits him with a quick pass. Adams has done well to finish in this area.
Another big beneficiary of all the defensive attention of Westbrook is Enes Kanter. Kanter's offense is there: he can do it all off the pick and roll. Though he doesn't shoot 3s anymore, he'll pop for jumpers around that free throw line area and he'll take it hard to the rim. The Thunder will run post ups for him as well. He's done a great job on the offensive glass, averaging a ridiculous 5 offensive rebounds a game with the Thunder, but he'll be hard pressed to continue that momentum against a Laker squad that has developed a reputation of being a good rebounding team lately.
On the Laker side of things, tank slayer Lin proceeded to fist the Laker's lottery odds without lube against the Sixers in a game where the young players struggled. Ed Davis, Ellington and Jordan Hill all contributed to the slowing of the tank. Back to the Westbrook Clarkson discussion though. The Lakers run a post centric offense when either Jordan Hill or Carlos Boozer is on the floor, which contributes somewhat to the Lakers pace problems. Too often, Clarkson or another wing will get past half court with 18 seconds on the clock looking for an entry pass that's being denied. The perimeter player will proceed to stare and wait, as if something's going to happen. I love inside out offenses, but Hill isn't Al Jefferson, and if he doesn't get the ball within 3 seconds, there should be a 2nd option available. Unfortunately, there is rarely any weakside movement with the Hill/Boozer postups, and the offense gets real ugly when that pass isn't made. If you guys really want to see Clarkson contribute, his best bet is to run early pick and rolls like Westbrook. We've seen what Clarkson can do in a pick and roll: he's patient, he uses his body to shield off his defender, he consistently makes the right decisions on these plays and good shots are generated. If he uses his speed to get down the floor and run pick and rolls before the opposing defense is set, the offense will get a lot cleaner.
Starters
Your Los Angeles Lakers
Jordan Clarkson
Jeremy Lin
Wesley Johnson
Ryan Kelly
Tarik Black
Oklahoma City Lottery Rejects
Russell Westbrook
Dion Waiters, who has looked suprisingly spry lately
Anthony Morrow (assuming that Andre Roberson is out)
Penis Kanter
Steven Adams
Another big beneficiary of all the defensive attention of Westbrook is Enes Kanter. Kanter's offense is there: he can do it all off the pick and roll. Though he doesn't shoot 3s anymore, he'll pop for jumpers around that free throw line area and he'll take it hard to the rim. The Thunder will run post ups for him as well. He's done a great job on the offensive glass, averaging a ridiculous 5 offensive rebounds a game with the Thunder, but he'll be hard pressed to continue that momentum against a Laker squad that has developed a reputation of being a good rebounding team lately.
On the Laker side of things, tank slayer Lin proceeded to fist the Laker's lottery odds without lube against the Sixers in a game where the young players struggled. Ed Davis, Ellington and Jordan Hill all contributed to the slowing of the tank. Back to the Westbrook Clarkson discussion though. The Lakers run a post centric offense when either Jordan Hill or Carlos Boozer is on the floor, which contributes somewhat to the Lakers pace problems. Too often, Clarkson or another wing will get past half court with 18 seconds on the clock looking for an entry pass that's being denied. The perimeter player will proceed to stare and wait, as if something's going to happen. I love inside out offenses, but Hill isn't Al Jefferson, and if he doesn't get the ball within 3 seconds, there should be a 2nd option available. Unfortunately, there is rarely any weakside movement with the Hill/Boozer postups, and the offense gets real ugly when that pass isn't made. If you guys really want to see Clarkson contribute, his best bet is to run early pick and rolls like Westbrook. We've seen what Clarkson can do in a pick and roll: he's patient, he uses his body to shield off his defender, he consistently makes the right decisions on these plays and good shots are generated. If he uses his speed to get down the floor and run pick and rolls before the opposing defense is set, the offense will get a lot cleaner.
Starters
Your Los Angeles Lakers
Jordan Clarkson
Jeremy Lin
Wesley Johnson
Ryan Kelly
Tarik Black
Oklahoma City Lottery Rejects
Russell Westbrook
Dion Waiters, who has looked suprisingly spry lately
Anthony Morrow (assuming that Andre Roberson is out)
Penis Kanter
Steven Adams
