In a league where teams with good off-ball movement and crisp passes excel (Think Spurs, Warriors), the Oklahoma City Thunder are a dying breed. Most successful teams in today’s NBA focus on working the ball around without individual agendas until the team gets a good shot. The Thunder, though, have a different strategy. They focus on their two superstars — Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant — and let those two go one-on-one with their respective opponents much more than most teams do.
After leading his team to a win on the road against the Los Angeles Clippers, Kevin Durant spoke about the Thunder’s iso-ball. From ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz:
“When you have iso players and guys who can score as many points as Russ and me, you’ve got to live playing some iso ball,” Durant said on Monday night following the Thunder’s 100-99 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center. “What do you want? Just pass the ball around and around and not be aggressive? If they’re looking at me and Russ is open, he gets the ball. But if I’ve got it, I’m going to work. Iso. It’s pick your poison.”
This strategy wouldn’t work for most teams, but it works for the Thunder. The reason why it works is obvious: They have two of the most dominant offensive superstars in the world. It’s impossible to shut down both Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. If one is having an off-game, that’s OK, because the other will still score 30 or 40.
OKC’s offensive approach has clearly been effective; they’re currently 3rd in the West with a record of 19-9. A record, I should add, that would likely be even better if Durant hadn’t had to miss six games with injury.
Iso-ball, while almost obsolete in today’s NBA, makes sense if you have the best iso player in the world, Kevin Durant. As Arnovitz pointed out, Durant has scored an absurd 1.138 points per possession this season, the most in the NBA among players who’ve had more than 50 isolation sets this season.
Iso-ball is working for the Thunder, and I think that they’re the only team in the NBA aside from San Antonio who have a legitimate shot at de-throning the Golden State Warriors this offseason.
