DEFENCE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS. It’s a common saying in basketball circles – and this season, the Oklahoma City Thunder have turned this motto into a mantra, with a young, superstar-led team, and one of the most disruptive defences in recent memory.
“Winning comes first and foremost, and if I don’t win, I am not satisfied” the superstar in question, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, proclaimed. Sitting atop the western conference, the Thunder have done a lot of winning this year, and at the heart of this success is their historically good defence.
Shots at the rim are gold in today’s NBA, and generating them is the objective of many offences. With this in mind, Oklahoma City’s defence aims to make these shots as difficult as possible and use their athletic personnel to recover to the perimeter.
Their defensive strategy starts in the paint. Once the opposing ball-handler touches the key, the Thunder collapse, stunting at the ball from the perimeter, and sending help from the low man.
This alone is nothing special. Every team in the NBA does this to some extent. What makes the Thunder so devastating, defensively, is their ability to commit more help to the ball while limiting efficient shots from range. With their athleticism and long wingspans, the Thunder defenders can reach in further to stop the ball, digging in even from one pass away, knowing they can recover with their speed and length to force a contested three.
And the numbers back it up. Oklahoma City allows the fewest points in the paint and still contests more three pointers than any other team. A perfect illustration of their unique ability to stop inside scoring while also preventing points from the perimeter.
Their help is even more disruptive once the offensive player picks up the ball, as the Thunder defenders throw their hands up, covering the pass to any open shooters and leading to a flurry of deflections.
While the Thunder aim to keep the ball out of the key on defence, penetration into the paint is inevitable in the NBA. When a drive breaks through in the Sooner State, what follows is a series of precise, calculated rotations to stop the ball, then chasing as it flies around the perimeter. One defender slides to cut off the drive. Another tags the roll man. A third zones up the weakside. Then comes the scramble. Stunningly, no one is more disciplined in these rotations than the league’s youngest team.
Despite their age and limited experience, the Thunder execute this to perfection, consistently helping with purpose, and eliminating opponent advantages. Not only is this another reason why they can protect the rim and the three all at once, but the dependability of their rotations means they can take risks in situations where other teams wouldn’t dare. Knowing that they’ll be covered on a mistake, coach Daigneault’s players are free to gamble on steals that could otherwise leave them out of position.
The amalgamation of aggressive stunting, disciplined help, and quick rotations has fashioned a defence opponents fear. The Thunder force 17.1 turnovers a game, by far the most in the league, and third most in the last 15 years. But the Thunder don’t just lead the league in opponent turnovers. They also lead in steals, deflections, loose balls recovered, charges drawn, and defensive rating. A truly dominant defensive season by Oklahoma City’s rising contender.
As the curtains close on a stellar regular season, one question remains – can this staggering defence propel Gilgeous-Alexander and his squad to that elusive championship?
