How do Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden get so open despite the lack of inside presence on offense? Why can’t defenses stop them? Head over to Hickory High and find out! (h/t to Chris at Smart Football)
Because Kendrick Perkins, Serge Ibaka, and Nick Collison don’t threaten a defense, Oklahoma City has to get creative when their initial option is contained. The first thing Oklahoma City does is use the screener to set a second off-ball screen instead of the rolling to the hoop. Normally, a simple screen for Kevin Durant could be handled with relative ease. But because the defense is overplaying the ball handler, there is nobody to help Durant’s man when he gets screened. The video below shows the space this second screen creates for Durant.
