Russell Westbrook / Thabo Sefolosha / Kevin Durant / Jeff Green / Nenad Krstic
VS,
Baron Davis / Rasual Butler / Al Thornton / Marcus Camby / Chris Kaman
Matchup
I was unimpressed with how the offense played against this Clippers team last week. After a tough win against the Spurs where the starters played heavy minutes, we'll see if OKC comes out with tired legs.
Defensively, I'd like to see OKC get off to a better start. The Clippers got a lot of easy buckets early in the previous game, Baron Davis was doing whatever he wanted to do.
Make this team a jump shooting team. Butler's been ice cold and Thornton isn't known for his range. Obviously Camby and Kaman prefer to be closer to the basket, and the farther away from the lane you keep Baron Davis the better. The Clippers miss a lot of open jumpers.
Big matchup is Kaman against Krstic; Krstic did a good job on Kaman last outing. Kaman will look to get even.
Some Numbers
OKC is first in the league in opponent three point percentage. OKC opponents are shooting 28% from three point range. How much luck plays into this is up for debate, but it's clear that the defensive rotations and close outs have been improving.
OKC is also, interestingly, top five in blocked shots after blocking 10 against the Spurs. That's something I'd never imagine seeing with this roster.
The Clippers have two starters (Butler, Thornton) with PER's below 10.0 on the year.
A Question
After a big road win, does this feel like a 'trap game'?
