About a week ago, I took a look at the Durant/Westbrook pick and pop the Thunder were running late in games.  In my opinion, that play might be one of the toughest sets to stop in the NBA because it is basically a lose-lose situation for the defense.  However, the Thunder seem to only run this play late when they want to get a two point bucket, rarely using the option of Durant popping out for a jumper.

So when Eric Gordon knocked down a three point shot with 43.2 seconds left, the Clippers basically took away the Thunder’s most dangerous play.  This put the Thunder in a situation where they have really struggled in the past, working Durant off of the basketball, looking for a catch and shoot opportunity.  When the Thunder aren’t isolating Durant and they try to work him off of the basketball, things are so basic that it is so simple to defend.  The result is Durant always making the catch going away from the basket a good four or five feet behind the three point line.  We saw a perfect example of this last night:

As soon as the ball goes to Thabo Sefolosha, the trigger man, Russell Westbrook splits Durant and Kendrick Perkins and gets the basketball at the top of the key.

Once Westbrook makes the catch Durant comes off of a quick cross screen set by Perkins.  This is my problem with the Thunder’s offense late.  This is the only screen Durant is getting and it is bringing him away from the basketball.

What’s worse is that Durant is denied.  So now for Durant to get open, he has to do all of the work himself.  In this case, Durant has to make a V-cut to try and get open and get the basketball.

Durant is unable to get open and Russell Westbrook turns the basketball over.  Here is the play in real time:

The turnover is a moot point though because even if it doesn’t take place look where Durant is making the catch.  Five feet behind the three point line, meaning Durant would have to create one-on-one to get a shot off instead of simply catching and shooting.

After the Clippers scored two more points, the Thunder found themselves down five points with about 36 seconds left.  A quick three or two would allow for the Thunder to get a basket and be able to play straight defense.  That never happened because the Thunder again struggled to get Durant open off of the basketball, and again it is because of the simplicity of the play being run.

The ball goes to the trigger man Thabo Sefolosha, and once it does, James Harden (Russell Westbrook fouled out the possession before) comes off of a screen set by Nick Collison to get the basketball at the top of the key.

After setting the screen for Harden, Collison comes over and sets a simple pindown screen for Durant.  This is so simple and so easy to read that the defense knows they are going to be switching it.

So when Durant comes off of the screen, Blake Griffin is already in position to keep Durant from getting open and keep him from getting a catch and shoot opportunity.

Durant is forced to make another one-on-one move without the basketball after he comes off of a screen.  The result is yet another catch five or six feet behind the three point line.  Again, Durant can’t get a shot off and the Thunder end up with a three point attempt from James Harden that ends up way short.  Here is the play in real time:

This is another play that has Durant going away from the basket instead of maybe curling to the three point line.  This is part of the reason why you see so many ISO plays with Durant because those isolation plays are better than the type of stuff they are running with him off of the basketball.  So what can they do different?  They could take a page out of the Lakers’ playbook.

I know what you are thinking, “Kobe gets isolated more than Durant does.”  While that is true, when the Lakers do work Bryant off of the basketball late, they do it very effectively (and that is part of the reason why it is so frustrating when we see Kobe go one-on-one late).  I have looked at some of their plays in the past, and one of the key aspects of the play is that always comes off of other action.  A screen the screener set or a fake handoff on the other side of the court, stuff like that could be effective for the Thunder as well.  Because even when Kobe doesn’t get a catch and shoot look off of these sets, he always makes the catch in a position to score (on the wing, right behind the three point line).  Right now, the Thunder are getting the ball to Durant five feet behind the line, and that might be the biggest problem for Oklahoma City.