National Basketball Association

OKC Thunder: Ranking the Most Intriguing Pick & Roll Combos

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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In the OKC Thunder’s preseason opener, Billy Donovan increased his usage of the pick and roll in their first game without Kevin Durant.

Never mind the score. We probably won’t see a Ronnie Price-Alex Abrines-Kyle Singler-Josh Huestis-Enes Kanter ever again. Or at least I hope so.

The first quarter was spectacular (when the starting lineup played); pick and rolls dominated the offense. And you know what? That’s a good thing.

Mar 22, 2015; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams (12) congratulates Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter (34) after a play against the Miami Heat during the first quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Oklahoma City’s strength is their big men. They have the ability to constantly roll out fresh quality bodies; not many NBA teams can boast that. With athletes and shooters on the wings, the OKC Thunder have so many juicy combos it’s hard to rank only five.

But we’re gonna do just that.

5. Alex Abrines and Ersan Ilyasova

Okay maybe this isn’t a true pick & roll. Well I say pick & pop is close enough for this presentation. We saw this combination only once in the opener; I sensed something magical in that fair play.

Alex Abrines came to Oklahoma City to be The Shooter. He lived up to that billing against Real Madrid, going 4-5 from behind the arc. Ersan Ilyasova was thrown into the Serge Ibaka trade for salary cap purposes; Ilyasova is widely regarded as one of the best stretch 4’s in the league. The Turk shot 2-4 from three-point range in his first game in a Thunder uniform.

There first in-game interaction may have resulted in a turnover, but the potential for a deadly pick & pop combo is higher than Victor Oladipo’s vertical.

Yeah.

If Abrines’ defender goes overtop Ilyasova’s screen, Ersan can easily pop out to an open three; his defender will be too busy worrying about a driving Abrines.

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If Abrines’ defender goes underneath Ilyasova’s screen, Abrines will have the space for a pullup jumper. All of this is mandated on the chemistry between the two. They’ve got to learn each others tendencies.

Ilyasova must learn where Abrines likes his screens, when he’s committed to a drive/jumper and where the sweet spot is. Abrines must learn where Ilyasova likes to receive the pass and where he’s going to slide.

The good thing is there’s hope. Both players learned the game on the international circuit where fundamentals are taught more heavily. Even better, they both spent two years playing for FC Barcelona before jumping to the league.

I imagine we’re going to hear from this pair at some point this season.

4. Russell Westbrook and Andre Roberson

The length and athleticism of this duo is enough to make this combination intriguing. Take into consideration Roberson’s significant leap over the offseason and you have the potential for a deadly pick & roll.

We saw an interesting dynamic from these two in last year’s playoffs. Roberson was fantastic at reading the defense for easy backcuts; Westbrook read the play every time and fed the 24-year old every time.

We saw the pair utilized in pick & rolls against Golden State; it resulted in easy buckets. Now all Billy Donovan needs to do is figure out how to harness that on a nightly basis. If he surrounds the pair with a  lineup of shooters-say Alex Abrines, Ersan Ilyasova and Domantas Sabonis-the spacing would be more than enough for these two to operate.

The combination won’t work if bigs are clogging the lane. They need proper space to work around the rim; points aren’t going to come off of jump shots from these two.

Once teams realize they HAVE to keep someone by the rim to stop a driving Westbrook it immediately opens up open jumpers for the other three on the court. Hence filling the court with shooters.It will be up to Russ to consistently make the correct read for this pair to work.

3. Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis

Domantas Sabonis is legit. He’s a preseason candidate for my made up Steal of the Draft Award. Victor Oladipo and Sabonis were packaged together for Serge Ibaka. Little did Sam Presti realize that those two had the potential to create a deadly play for Billy Donovan.

Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports

Oladipo has been much more aggressive on the offensive end in preseason, utilizing his quickness to get to the rim. He’s shot 15-21 on two-point field goals so far, ranging from mid-range jumpers to explosive dunks.

Sabonis has flexed his offensive versatility, hitting 3-4 from behind the arc while also showcasing brute force down low. Even more impressive has been his passing ability. Sabonis has his father’s genes; Arvydas Sabonis is widely regarded as one of the best big passers in the history of the game.

A pick & roll/pop with these two would create nightmares for opponents. First off, Sabonis’ man would have to recognize if Sabonis is rolling to the basket or popping out for a jumper. If Oladipo’s man gets caught up in the screen, it forces Sabonis’ man to focus on a driving Oladipo. That gives Domantas a mismatch on block, something the OKC Thunder have tried to exploit early on this year.

Learning each other’s tendencies will be crucial for these two to coexist. Sabonis provides a rare blend of shooting, passing and strength down low. Oladipo’s ability to gauge what Sabonis is thinking-and vice versa for that matter-will be the main reason whether or not these two can co-exist.

If it works, the NBA could be in for a real problem for years to come.

2. Russell Westbrook and Domantas Sabonis

Did you really think I was going to gush about Sabonis and not name him again? Did you really think Russ would only appear once? As fun as a Victor Oladipo-Domantas Sabonis combination will be, it can’t beat out a partnership with the best point guard in the world.

Sep 23, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) speaks to the media during Oklahoma City Thunder media day at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Westbrook showed last postseason that he can run the pick-and-roll with Steven Adams (hint hint) to perfection. Replace Adams with a more skilled offensive player and there’s reason to believe that anything is possible.

Westbrook brings everything you want in a guard coming off a screen. He’s fast with the ball. He can stop on a dime. He enjoys racking up assists. Pairing those qualities with a big who can shoot, score from the block and pass only makes sense.

Russell Westbrook cannot be guarded by one singular person when coming off a screen. He’s too fast for his defender to get through a screen and recover so Sabonis man’ will have to hedge. This gives Sabonis a fleeting moment to read and react.

IF Russ passes back to the rookie someone will have to rotate and cover the 20-year old. That’s when Sabonis’ instincts and passing ability kicks in. He’s young, but his basketball IQ is high enough already that he can find the open man almost instantaneously. If nobody rotates, Sabonis has an easy jumper or dunk (depending on the situation).

Don’t you love when theoretical situations work out perfectly?

1. Russell Westbrook and Steven Adams

You saw the headlines over the offseason. Russ thinks Steven Adams is already an all-star caliber player. Adams is one of the main reasons why Russ signed that contract extension; he’s all-in on the Adams bandwagon. And so should we.

A proper, well-working basketball relationship requires true admiration between the pair. That facet is why this combination is so intriguing. Russ wants to see Adams succeed; that’s a big confidence boost for a 23-year old.

Mar 18, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) celebrates with center Steven Adams (12) after his three pointer against the Philadelphia 76ers during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. The Oklahoma City Thunder won 111-97.Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Adams has a rare blend of raw strength and mobility that you don’t normally find in seven-footers. He can set his screen past the three-point line because of his speed when rolling to the rim. This gives Westbrook optimal spacing to work in the lane; if he gets stuck he can rely on a rolling Adams being right behind him.

Russ at full-throttle creates the most force of any point guard according to my own scientific calculations. You can say the same about Adams, just switch point guard for center. There is not a team in the NBA that has the athleticism to cover both of these guys at the same time.

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Adams’ usage rate is going to rise significantly this season because of this one play. Every time this duo is on the court a pick & roll should be ran. Adams ball skills are only improving with the more experience he gets. Expect Adams to have A LOT of experience running the pick & roll by the time the season is over.

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