The Breakdown: Understanding Oklahoma City's Star-Driven Offense

There are few certainties in basketball, but here are some: the Celtics wear green; the Lakers wear purple and gold; and Kevin Durant scores.

Before the 2013-14 season, Durant had already won three scoring titles. Then he went and had a career year. Over the course of the regular season, Durant averaged 32.0 points per game, punctuated by a DiMaggio-esque stretch in which he scored at least 25 points for 41 straight games.

And he’s kept scoring in the playoffs, too. Through the first three games of the Western Conference Finals, Durant is averaging 29.8 points, 1.0 more than the No. 2 scorer, LeBron James. If you scroll down that list just a few more spots you’ll find a surprising entry: at No. 6 is Durant’s teammate, Russell Westbrook at 25.8 per game. If Westbrook must be cast as Durant’s Robin, he certainly likes to take the Batmobile out for a spin.

Durant and Westbrook make the Thunder offense go. But how do they do it? And how do the rest of Oklahoma City players fit in? On this edition of “The Breakdown,” we take a closer look at the Thunder’s star-driven offense. And for more NBA playoffs coverage, don’t forget to check out Complex’s new hoops site TriangleOffense.com.

Isolation for Kevin Durant

Can it get any simpler? Give Kevin Durant the ball at the top of the key and don’t move (seriously, count the number of steps taken by the rest of the OKC players in this clip). When you have the NBA’s top scorer, though, that’s often all it takes. The clear out gives KD space to drive to the basket. But if the defender plays the drive, Durant can pull up off the dribble from three: Durant shot 39.1 percent from deep during the regular season.

Pick and Roll for Kevin Durant

Staying in front of Kevin Durant gets even harder when the MVP gets a high screen from one of the Thunder bigs. Here Nick Collison sets the pick, allowing Durant to gain a step on his defender. The rest of the Thunder stays on the opposite end of the floor, giving Durant a path to the basket. Shooters Derek Fisher and Jeremy Lamb spot up on the perimeter for the potential kick out. Given its effectiveness, it’s little surprise the Thunder have relied so heavily on the pick and roll.

Pick and Pop for Kevin Durant

Durant is also dangerous off the ball, especially when he sets a ball screen for Russell Westbrook. The defense has to play the Westbrook drive, which gives Durant a chance to pop out to the perimeter undefended. When that happens, Westbrook kicks it back, and Durant finishes the play by knocking down the open three-pointer.

Russell Westbrook Off the Bounce

When it comes to attacking the basket, few can match Russell Westbrook. With speed or strength, a floater or a dunk, Westbrook finds ways to score at the rim. Oklahoma City sets the guard up for success by setting screens for him (see the previous slide), clearing out or, in this case, getting him the ball in the open court.

Russell Westbrook Drive and Kick

Sure, Westbrook is a scorer, but he can also dish the rock. During the regular season, Westbrook averaged a team-high 6.9 assists per game. When the defense collapses on him at the rim, Westbrook kicks it out to one of the Thunder’s shooters on the perimeter.

Kick Out to Reggie Jackson

Jackson is often the one doing the driving and kicking, but more and more these days he’s on the receiving end. After averaging 3.1 and 5.3 points per game in his first two years in the league, Jackson bumped his average to 13.1 ppg this year. Part of that can be attributed to his improved three-point shooting, which, in a year, jumped from 23.1 to 33.9 percent. Now when Jackson gets the ball on the perimeter the defense has to close out. This gives him an advantage when he puts the ball on the deck to get to the hoop.