The Oklahoma City Thunder went 3-1 this week with wins over the Bulls, Cavaliers, and Raptors, while dropping the first game of the week to the Mavericks. Here is how each player contributed!
Game 1: Thunder blown out at home by Mavericks, 109-86
Game 2: Thunder redeem themselves in Chicago, win 97-85
Game 3: Thunder avoid collapse, beat Cavaliers 102-95
Game 4: Durant rises as Westbrook falls, OKC beats Raptors in 2OT 119-118
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KEVIN DURANT | Games Played | PPG | REB | AST | BL | ST | TO | +/- |
(Average Stats) |
4 |
37.8 |
9.8 |
5.5 |
0.8 |
0.3 |
2.5 |
+5.5 |
JUAN |
 |
Kevin Durant was referred to as "Jesus" by Raptors players and that's pretty incredible. Durant averaged close to 38-10 this week and hit a dagger in Canada in the process. With the way that the Miami Heat are playing, I think it's getting close to that time of year where Durant is a shoe-in for his first MVP trophy. |
SHERMAN |
|
Kevin Durant keeps on cranking out amazing games in this amazing season of his. With his team in consistent disarray from losing teammates to injury, shuffling lineups, and bizarre inattention to defense, he keeps putting up Jordan-like levels of output, and often times, it feels like he didn't even hit his personal apex. If Durant had an even average first half against the Raptors or made some more free throws, he would have broken the 60 point barrier with ease. Even more remarkable, his PER remains over 30, as KD continues to grab rebounds and distribute the ball at an astounding rate. His 51 point game vs the Raptors, given all that surrounded the moment, may have locked up his first MVP. |
|
KENDRICK PERKINS | Games Played | PPG | REB | AST | BL | ST | TO | +/- |
(Average Stats) |
0 |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
JUAN |
 |
If you don't follow Kendrick Perkins on Twitter, you probably should start doing so. |
SHERMAN |
 |
Kendrick Perkins has to be happy at the slow improvement of the Thunder defensive interior. While there are still breakdowns, it is showing signs of strengthening. |

|
JEREMY LAMB | Games Played | PPG | REB | AST | BL | ST | TO | +/- |
(Average Stats) |
4 |
3.5 |
1.0 |
0.8 |
0.5 |
0.8 |
0.8 |
-2.5 |
JUAN |
 |
It's so disappointing to see Jeremy Lamb out of the rotation after we all got a glimpse of his skill and potential. In a double overtime game, Lamb only got 5 minutes. That's just mind boggling to me. |
SHERMAN |
 |
The box score says that Jeremy Lamb played in 4 games, but it certainly felt more like 1.5 games. He got no meaningful minutes against the Mavericks and Bulls, got 26 minutes against the Cavaliers, and then was essentially only able to play 5 minutes against the Raptors after Butler fouled out. With that kind of misappropriation of minutes, is there any wonder why Lamb's performance has suffered? To his credit though, he was ready to go against Cleveland and acquitted himself in OT in Toronto. It boggles my mind. He is so, SO much more dynamic than Butler or Fisher, but receives no deference when it comes to consistency in opportunity. |
|
NICK COLLISON | Games Played | PPG | REB | AST | BL | ST | TO | +/- |
(Average Stats) |
4 |
1.5 |
3.5 |
1.5 |
0.0 |
0.8 |
1.0 |
+1.0 |
JUAN |
 |
The Thunder have been playing it safe with Nick Collison's minutes, I think, but with a shorthanded lineup, Brooks was forced to play him a bit more. I don't know if he showed some rust from not playing many minutes, but he looked uncomfortable at times this week and that's not a good sign. The Thunder need Collison to be his usual solid-self in the playoffs for them to make a run. |
SHERMAN |
 |
Nick Collison finally saw his minutes go back up this week, in part because the Thunder are shorthanded, but also because I'd like to think they need a bit more continuity on the offensive end. Collison certainly provides that, but a lot of fans are beginning to ask, what's wrong? He's not finishing at the rim, his reliable jumper has disappeared, and his double-digit points/rebounding games are long gone. The sad reality is...Nick is 33. He's slowing down, and his game reflects it. I hope though he's got at least one more big push in him when the playoffs arrive. |
|
PERRY JONES III | Games Played | PPG | REB | AST | BL | ST | TO | +/- |
(Average Stats) |
2 |
3.0 |
0.0 |
0.5 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
1.0 |
-9.5 |
JUAN |
|
Rough week for Perry Jones III, he was another odd man out of the rotation this week and as Sherman will point out below me, it's hard for a young player to find rhythm when he's in and out of the lineup. Brooks needs to figure out what he wants to do with these guys, and quickly. |
SHERMAN |

|
Perry Jones, like Lamb, is one of the byproducts of Brooks' bizarre substitution pattern he has instituted amidst these numerous back-to-back games. In resting Westbrook on the front end, it is as if these guys either play starters minutes or not at all. As a result, Jones had a lot of difficulty in finding any sort of rhythm this past week. What is on him though is that he's turning into a basic jump shooter, and this is not the strongest part of his game. Jones needs to be finishing at the rim and grabbing rebounds, and until he shows that kind of consistent aggression, his game is going to be spotty. |
|
SCOTT BROOKS | Coaching Grade |
JUAN |

|
At the beginning of the season, we thought Scott Brooks' days of not playing young guys were over, but now, those days are slowly creeping up on us. Brooks has taken Jeremy Lamb out of the rotation and I believe Adams is only getting significant minutes because of injury. Perry Jones is having a tough time finding a rhythm with his inconsistent minutes. Whatever it is that Scott Brooks is doing, I think needs some adjustments. I think Caron Butler is a capable player, but if it comes at the expense of diminishing Jeremy Lamb's confidence, I want no part of that. |
SHERMAN |
 |
At this point I am completely baffled by Scott Brooks' coaching regression over the course of the season. Early on he was showing true growth in how he was using both his starters and his bench, making for a fluid rotation that had few weaknesses. Now though, down 2 starters already and possibly Westbrook as a 3rd, he's wasting his resources. Against the Raptors, a double OT game on the 2nd night of a back-to-back, Lamb didn't even enter the game until Butler fouled out, and Jones never even got in at all. It's one thing if he's deciding to trust Fisher/Butler in the ends of games, but if he's going to do that, at least put them in a position to succeed instead of playing them 15 minutes longer than they should be. |
*All player images via US Presswire
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