OKC Thunder: John Hollinger reveals his Thunder scouting report
Over the next month, ESPN NBA Insider John Hollinger is releasing team scouting reports, closely analyzing every player in the league.
First up, Hollinger broke down both of the NBA finalists, kicking off his countdown with the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder.
It’s well-researched and thorough stuff, great for any NBA fanatic. Here’s his complete player-by-player breakdown of the Thunder.
But if you’re looking for a condensed version, Hollinger put together a brief scouting synopsis, with positives and negatives, at the start of his breakdown. The highlights are below:
Kevin Durant
+ Tall, long-armed scoring prodigy with unblockable release. Deadly in transition.
+ Great foul shooter. Lacks strength. Struggles to get open against physical D.
+ Good handle and improved passer. Length an asset on defense and boards.
Russell Westbrook
+ Freakishly athletic shoot-first guard with great burst to basket. Penetrates at will.
+ Shaky long-range shooter but excels at midrange pull-up. Makes bad decisions.
+ Could be excellent defender, but effort has slackened. Great offensive rebounder.
Thabo Sefolosha
+ Strong wing defender with good size and lateral movement. Very good rebounder.
+ Good handle for size but has poor offensive instincts and makes terrible decisions.
+ Effective finisher in open court but a mediocre outside shooter.
Serge Ibaka
+ Athletic, long-armed, shot-blocking ace still learning fundamentals.
+ Overrated defender who struggles against floor-spacers. Good rebounder.
+ Very good midrange shooter. No post game and poor offensive instincts.
Kendrick Perkins
+ Tough-as-nails post defender who likes physical play. Very strong.
+ Plodding low-post game. Lacks elevation and takes forever to gather and go up.
+ Sets bone-jarring screens but prone to offensive fouls. Can make short jumpers.
Follow
