Shai Gilgous-Alexander breaks down Oklahoma City’s closing lineup that feature’s three ball-handlers.
Shai Gigeous-Alexander, Chris Paul, and Dennis Schroder have played together a total of 401 minutes this season. During that time, the Thunder are outscoring their opponents by 268 points.
According to John Schuhmann of NBA.com, the three guards average less than seven minutes on the floor; those minutes are the difference between a loss and a win 13 times this season. But let’s not forget two other players are contributing down the stretch.
Danilo Gallinari is tied for third in clutch threes with 14 this season while Steven Adams is averaging almost a double-double. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander says:
If you want to see this lineup more often, you may get your wish. With only eight seeding games before the playoffs and the Thunder being able to finish anywhere from second through seventh, Donovan will want to have his best players as much as possible.
Of course, there is a chance that Dennis Schroder could miss some time when his wife gives birth. The Thunder doesn’t have an adequate replacement for his 19 points per game, which will put more pressure on Paul and Gilgous-Alexander to make up for his loss.
Whatever happens in those eight seeding games, the 40-24 record is proof enough, Oklahoma City can play with just about any team in the league.
With more than 20 years of experience hosting local and national radio shows, Erik Gee is a fixture of Oklahoma sports media. He has covered the Oklahoma City Thunder for the past six seasons. He is also the co-host of the Pat Jones show on 97.1 The Sports Animal in Tulsa.
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