Tag: Dennis Schroder

Three takeaways from OKC’s 107-104 win over New Orleans

Against New Orleans Sunday, the Thunder got a strong start from Steven Adams, had a solid third quarter, and had a balanced scoring attack.

After a three-game stretch in November where Oklahoma City lost three games by a combined 10 points, the Thunder looked to have turned the corner when it comes to close games, pulling off two wins over the New Orleans Pelicans in the span of three days by a total of eight points.

Three takeaways from Sunday’s 107-104 victory:

Steven Adams set the tone inside for Oklahoma City

In Friday’s 109-104 win, Pelicans rookie Jaxson Hayes draw the defensive assignment against Adams, in which Adams had a clear advantage. Not wanting a repeat performance Sunday, New Orleans announced prior to tip-off that Jhalil Okafor was going to take Hayes’ spot in the starting lineup. It didn’t matter.

Adams again got off to a hot start, scoring the Thunder’s first four points, and six of his 17 in the first quarter.

As solid as his start was, his late-game play was even more important. Adams hit 5-of-6 free throws down the stretch to keep OKC out in front and ultimately, seal the victory.

 

The Thunder finally had a good third quarter

It’s no secret that OKC has struggled in the third quarter of games this year. In fact, as pointed out by The Oklahoman, they’re downright one of the worst.

But Sunday against the Pelicans, Maddie Lee noted that Oklahoma City “weathered a four-minute scoring drought with solid defense and finished the quarter on a, 11-3 run”.

The Thunder outscored New Orleans 26-22 in the third, setting themselves up nicely for a final push in the fourth quarter.

 

Balanced scoring a key for victory

It’s always good to have a guy that can give you 20-plus points night in and night out. It’s even better if it’s not always the same guy.

In Friday’s win, it was Dennis Schröder coming off the bench to score 25 en route to a 109-104 victory. On Sunday, it was Danilo Gallinari that led the team with 23 points and 11 rebounds.

Schröder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Steven Adams all scored 17 apiece, while Chris Paul added 16.

A lot of people wondered what Billy Donovan’s three-guard offense was going to look like, and it looks a lot like this. A lineup that can produce multiple leading scorers on any given night, and guys up and down the roster that can be counted on for significant point production.

Dennis Schroder has to continue scoring well for Thunder

The Thunder need Dennis Schroder to continue scoring at a solid rate this season.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Dennis Schroder has been a solid scorer throughout his career, yet he has not been an efficient bucket getter.

Schroder has only shot at least 45% from the field one season, and that was when he posted the second-highest scoring average of his career.

In his second season with the Thunder, Schroder has continued to show he can score, albeit on mediocre efficiency. He’s averaged 15.4 points per game on 43.9% shooting.

But on Friday night the Thunder needed all of Schroder’s team-high 25 points, even if he got them on a season-high 24 field goal attempts. The Thunder won 109-104 over the New Orleans Pelicans. With the win, the Thunder move to 7-11 on the season.

When Schroder scores 20 or more points, the Thunder are 3-3. A rebuilding team, the Thunder usually look for either Schroder, Chris Paul, Danilo Gallinari or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to score.

Those four are the top four scorers on the team, with Gilgeous-Alexander leading the team in points per game (18.3).

It also helps that Schroder ranks second on the team in assists. He’s helping to initiate offense in multiple ways for a team that ranks 20th in points per game and 24th in assists.

Schroder isn’t the most efficient scorer, but he has games where he helps produce wins. With the NBA ruled by a bevy of dominant guards and wings, having Schroder contribute in the way he does will be important as the Thunder look to develop in a first year of a rebuild.

The Thunder will play the Pelicans on Sunday in New Orleans at 5 p.m. EST.

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Dennis Schröder convinced teammate to get blonde streak

Justin Patton has been sporting a blonde patch of hair. Schröder told Nick Gallo “he convinced him to do it and kind of likes it”.

It’s said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

In the NBA, that can range from style of play, to fashion to, apparently, hair.

Dennis Schröder isn’t the only sporting his signature blonde streak. Prior to Wednesday’s game in Portland, Thunder reporter Nick Gallo asked the seventh-year guard about Justin Patton, who has been seen showing off a noticeably lighter patch of hair on the back of his head.

“My barber, he was in San Francisco. He wanted to do the blonde patch and I told him, ‘do something else’ you know? And I convinced him to do it in the back. I kind of like it.”

In addition to the new hairdo, there’s been a lot to like about Patton this season.

In his last outing for the OKC Blue on Saturday, Nov. 23, Patton scored 13 points in 19 minutes in a 127-116 loss to the Texas Legends. He shot 6-of-8 from the field.

Through six games, Patton is averaging 9.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, and 2.5 assists in 25.4 minutes per contest.

Rajon Rondo fined $35k for ‘unsportsmanlike physical contact’

Rajon Rondo was fined by the NBA after getting ejected in Friday night’s win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Los Angeles Lakers are in pretty good shape as they are riding a six-game winning streak heading into Saturday night’s game against a Memphis Grizzlies team that shows promise but is very inexperienced. However, one of their players was hit in the pocketbook after a moment in Friday’s win over Oklahoma City.

The NBA announced that Lakers guard Rajon Rondo has been fined $35,000 for “unsportsmanlike contact” with Thunder guard Dennis Schroeder, which resulted in a flagrant two foul for Rondo and an ejection, as well as the “verbal abuse of a game official” and “failing to leave the court in a timely manner upon his ejection.”

Video of the offense is available on NBA.com as it looks like Rondo hit Schroeder below the belt with a knee before arguing with the officials on his way out.

Rondo is expected to play for the Lakers tonight against the Grizzlies but he will be doing so without a significant chunk of change in his pocket. Rondo made his debut a earlier this month after missing about a month of time with a calf injury.

The Lakers are set to play the Grizzlies for the second time this season in about two hours at the FedEx Forum in Memphis.

Schröder’s 31 not enough to overcome LeBron, Lakers

LeBron James has now recorded a triple-double against every team in the NBA as the Lakers edged the Thunder 112-107 on Tuesday night.

In the same city in the same arena, it was a different opponent, but still the same result.

The Thunder came up short against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night, falling 112-107, a game in which they could never quite catch up.

Dennis Schröder scored a season-high 31 off the bench, hitting on 12 of his 20 shot attempts. Danilo Gallinari added 25 while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nerlens Noel chipped in 16 and 15, respectively.

A night after leading Oklahoma City in scoring, Chris Paul scored only four points but did dish out 10 assists.

The Thunder have now dropped four of the last five and remain winless on the road.

Per ESPN, for the second night in a row, head coach Billy Donovan thought his team did the right things but couldn’t quite close it out at the end.

“There’s a lot of things we did well in there,” Oklahoma City coach Billy Donovan said. “But, you know, we came up short in all these games. I think the one sign you can point to is both teams, the Clippers and the Lakers, are really, really good teams, so we’re competing well at a high level. But we’ve just got to do more in order to be able to finish and close out games.”

Oklahoma City will have the next two days off to rest and return home, something that could be particularly important for Thunder guard Hamidou Diallo, as he missed his third straight game with left knee soreness.

Also of note – LeBron became the first player in NBA history to record a triple-double against every team in the league with Tuesday night’s 25 points, 11 rebound, and 10 assists performance.

The two teams will meet again in just three days in Oklahoma City. Tip-off inside Chesapeake Energy Arena is set for 7 p.m. CT.

Chris Paul tops The Athletic’s latest NBA Style Power Rankings

Chris Paul grabbed the top spot in The Athletic’s Week 3 NBA Style Power Rankings thanks to a Nipsey Hussle Marathon Clothing Company collaboration.

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Dennis Schröder might have the best style on the Thunder, at least according to teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but Chris Paul has been bringing his A-game as well, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed.

CP3 tops the latest edition of The Athletic’s NBA Style Power Rankings, released Wednesday.

Wosney Lambre credits Paul’s ranking to “his donning of Jerry Lorenzo’s much-anticipated Fear Of God collaboration with the late great Nipsey Hussle’s Marathon Clothing Company”.

“But Paul didn’t stop at his Nipsey tribute, the future HOFer waltzed through Chesapeake Energy Arena dripped and draped in a posh Pyer Moss pinstriped jacket with a funky Ambush hoodie that evoked streetwear classic Miskeen, all while staying true to his early season dedication to remaining as cozy as possible in blue windbreaker pants.”

Paul may be heading toward the end of his playing career, but his style game is still going strong.

Gilgeous-Alexander, who credited Schröder for wearing a “fur coat” during shootaround prior to the Thunder’s game against Indiana Tuesday, also came in on the list, landing at No. 8.

Dubbed ‘Pants Pants Revolution’ by Lambre, SGA’s “dedication to having the NBA’s grooviest trouser collection since Jack Ramsay stalked the sidelines is awe-inspiring.”

Maybe point guard play isn’t the only mentoring that Paul is providing to Gilgeous-Alexander in Oklahoma City.

Rapid reax: Three takeaway’s from OKC’s 111-85 loss to the Pacers

The Thunder struggled offensively against Indiana, had some personnel issues that allowed Devon Hall to see his first NBA action, and shot well from the free-throw line.

There aren’t a ton of positives to come out of the Thunder’s first lopsided loss of the 2019-20 season, a 111-85 drubbing at the hands of the Indiana Pacers.

But here are three rapid reactions.

Oklahoma City’s shooting wasn’t just cold, it was downright frigid.

When Steven Adams missed a six-footer to start the game, it should’ve been a sign that the Thunder were in for a long night. OKC missed their first five shots from the floor and never recovered.

Their only lead came at 12-10 with 6:30 to play in the first quarter.

As noted by The Oklahoman‘s Joe Mussatto, OKC’s three-guard lineup of Chris Paul, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dennis Schröder that has been so effective at times this year, combined to shoot only 8-of-28 from the floor. The trio accounted for 27 of the team’s 85 points.

Even Danilo Gallinari, who led the team with 14, had a quiet night and missed all of his three-point attempts.

Devon Hall made his NBA debut.

Hall saw limited time in Tuesday night’s loss, but it’s still good experience for the guard out of Virginia that the Thunder signed to a two-way contract.

He played for seven minutes and took only one shot, which he made, a layup with 5:55 left to play in the game.

Hey, the free throw shooting was good.

Usually, the free throwing shooting is something that stands out as a glaring negative on the post-game stat sheet.

Tuesday, it was one of the best things about the box score.

Oklahoma City shot 87.5% from the charity stripe, making 21-of-24. Gallinari was a perfect 8-for-8, Gilgeous-Alexander a perfect 4-for-4 and Abdel Nader and Dennis Schröder hit both of their attempts.

The biggest issue with the free throw shooting was that both Chris Paul and Hamidou Diallo, guards that need to be taking to the basket and getting fouled, didn’t take any free throw attempts.

Gilgeous-Alexander: Dennis Shröder has ‘best style’ on Thunder

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said that Shröder wore a ‘fur coat’ to shootaround Tuesday, adding he’s ‘never seen that before’.

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander certainly has style on the court.

Off the court, however, Gilgeous-Alexander says its teammate Dennis Schröder that has the flair for fashion.

During a quick interview prior to playing the Pacers, SGA told reporters Shröder was wearing a “fur coat” during the Thunder’s shootaround Tuesday ahead of the game in Indianapolis.

The Oklahoman’s Maddie Lee confirmed that Schröder, indeed, was wearing a ‘brown teddy jacket’ under his practice jersey.

It really shouldn’t come as a surprise though. Just take a quick look at Schröder’s Instagram. There’s literally a saved stories highlight thread labeled ‘Drip’.

Here are some of the looks that made the profile:

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👨🏾‍🏫👨🏾‍🏫👨🏾‍🏫

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This one looks perfect for a November game in Indiana.

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🦍 🦍 🦍

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A cousin to Tuesday’s brown fur coat perhaps?

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💎💎💎

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And another one.

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Step into the playoffs like …🚶🏾‍♂️

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We really want to know – is this one a romper (romphim?) or a shirt and shorts combo? Either way, it’s giving us serious vibez.

Schröder hasn’t just been bringing it with the looks, he’s been bringing it in the games. He led the team with 25 points in Sunday’s 121-119 loss to the Bucks.

 

Do you agree that Dennis Schröder has the most style on the Thunder? Which one of the Oklahoma City guard’s outfits is your favorite?

A look at the Thunder’s quality 3-point shooting to begin the season

The Thunder are ranked seventh in the league for 3-point percentage to begin this season.

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It may have taken starting a rebuild for the Oklahoma City Thunder to be a good 3-point shooting team.

And yet with the Thunder at 4-6 to start the season, they’re one of the best shooting teams in the NBA.

The Thunder made a season-high 17 3-pointers in their 121-119 loss Sunday night against the Milwaukee Bucks. Mike Muscala and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander each had a team-high four 3-pointers, and Chris Paul and Dennis Schroder each had three.

Through 10 games this season, the Thunder rank seventh in the league for 3-point percentage, shooting at a 37.5% clip. As a team, the Thunder make 11.5 3-pointers a game, and five players account for a good portion of those makes.

Paul, Gilgeous-Alexander, Terrance Ferguson, Danilo Gallinari and Darius Bazley combine for 8.7 of the Thunder’s 3-pointers per game. Each player has shot at least 38% from 3-point range.

Despite being two games under .500, the Thunder’s quality shooting has helped them remain competitive.

They’ve only shot below 36% from the 3-point line in two games. Both of those were losses, and in both games, they lost by 12 or fewer points. In games where they have shot 36% or better from deep, they’re 4-4. In each of the four losses, the Thunder have lost by single digits.

Having new players such as Paul, Gallinari and Gilgeous-Alexander has helped the Thunder improve their shooting.

Paul and Gallinari have both shot at least 37% from 3-point range in their careers. A rookie last season, Gilgeous-Alexander shot 36.7% with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Ferguson has also improved his shooting steadily over his career. He’s shooting 38.1% from three on 2.1 attempts. Bazley, a rookie, has shot 40.0% on 2.5 attempts. He ranks seventh among rookies for 3-point percentage, according to NBA.com.

In the past three seasons, the Thunder have been in the bottom half of the league for 3-point percentage. The last time they were in the top half was in the 2013-14 season, when they ranked 14th.

Their top two shooters last season were Jerami Grant and Paul George, but both players were traded this offseason to the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers, respectively. Ferguson was the team’s third-best 3-point shooter last season, hitting at a 36.6% clip.

The Thunder are rebuilding, but they have a budding young player in Gilgeous-Alexander. Paul and Gallinari are proven talents, so their leadership helps. Though the Thunder might not make the playoffs, their shooting ability gives them a chance to compete against most teams.

OKC will play the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Tuesday night.

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