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The Oklahoma City Thunder have started to make some changes as they look to address a disappointing start to the season. One of the more eye-catching changes has been Carmelo Anthony’s lack of shots and overall scoring over their recent two-game winning streak.
But Melo hasn’t been the only one altering his game lately. He, along with the other two members of the Thunder’s new “Big 3” in Russell Westbrook and Paul George have combined to pass the ball with more frequency during their two wins.
Small sample, but: Over the past two games the Westbrook/George/Anthony trio is averaging 19.4 more passes per game than its season average.
— Brett Dawson (@BDawsonWrites) December 4, 2017
It’s a promising development to see that the Thunder's three best players have started to buy into the concept of passing the ball more often. That lack of ball movement has played a significant factor in the Thunder’s disappointing offensive efficiency through the first quarter of the season.
With the Big 3 moving the ball with greater regularity, their offense might finally begin to function to the high level many had anticipated prior to the season.
Two games is still a very small sample size, though, so the Thunder stars still need to prove they can carry on and maintain this sudden boom in passing going forward. But if the added passing continues to yield more winning, the likelihood of them sticking to the new philosophy should markedly improve.
