Oklahoma City Thunder: Sefolosha missed
No one can doubt Thabo Sefolosha’s value to the Thunder. Not after the Clipper massacre Monday night. Sefolosha missed the game with a foot injury, and the Clippers waltzed to a 112-100 victory that was notable for the Thunder’s total lack of defense.
The Clippers made 45 of 80 shots (56.2 percent). They made 13 of 25 3-pointers (52 percent). They made eight of 10 dunks (yep, De’Andre Jordan missed two). You let a good-shooting team take 25 mostly-open 3-pointers and 10 dunks, and you’ll get beat every time.
Chris Paul, who took only three of the 3-pointers and none of the dunks, was the chief instigator, running the Clippers with amazing efficiency. CP3 darted in and out of the lane for lobs and kick-outs to open sharpshooters Caron Butler and Chauncey Billups.
When Butler, guarded by Kevin Durant, scored 11 points in the game’s first 6:10, you figured this would be a long night without Thabo and his defense. Switching Sefolosha over to Butler and letting Durant guard Billups wouldn’t have been much better, but at least Sefolosha could have dogged the hot hand.
But as the game wore on, it became clear that Thabo’s real value would have been in trying to guard Paul. That’s tough duty for a 6-foot-5 wingman, trying to stay in front of the NBA’s premeir cat burglar, but Sefolosha offers the best hope for the Thunder. At least Wednesday night. Russell Westbrook’s defense was abysmal, In Westbrook’s, uh, defense, it’s hard for anyone in the league to guard Paul. Kobe Bryant and LeBron James and Durant are easier to guard than is Paul.
But Westbrook’s defense was atrocious Wednesday. As bad as Durant’s. Westbrook seemed to be following CP3 as much as he was guarding him. Thabo gives the Thunder another option, at least a different look. Might have made a difference.
And has there ever been a game that more adequately displayed James Harden’s value in coming off the bench? Starting in Thabo’s stead, Harden was a total non-factor. No points until the second quarter. No basket until the fourth quarter, when it was a blowout. It is clear that Harden is much more comfortable coming off the bench, playing a good chunk of the game as the B team’s primary scoring option, rather than playing with Durant and Westbrook as the A team’s third option. In the fourth quarter of games, Harden routinely plays with Westbrook and Durant, and plays well. Maybe he needs to get adjusted to the flow of the game, I don’t know. But he’s clearly lost as a starter.
Not that Thabo’s absence is an excuse for the defeat. Every team is dealing with voids in this densely-scheduled season. You adjust to injuries and move on. But just know Thabo’s defensive versatility is a wonderful asset for the Thunder. OKC was reminded of that against the Clippers, the hard way.
-------------Berry Tramel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter @BerryTramel. Visit Berry's website here.
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I agree.