Breaking Down OKC Thunder's Point Guard Position for 2014-15 Season
It’s currently “The Age of the Point Guard” in the NBA, and the Oklahoma City Thunder are fortunate to be well-stocked at the position.
That depth paid off in a big way last season with Russell Westbrook missing 36 games, but what can OKC expect from their point guards for 2014-15?
To answer that question, we have to examine last year’s performance as well as the changes the new season brings.
One thing, however, is clear: With one of the best point guards in the NBA manning the starting spot and one of the league’s best backups spelling him off the bench, the Thunder boast the league’s best point guard depth.
Last Season’s Performance
Statistics don’t tell the whole story, but they’re a good starting point. So here’s how the Thunder’s three point guards performed in the box score last year:
| Russell Westbrook | 21.8 | 6.9 | 5.7 | 3.8 | 0.437 | 0.318 | 24.74 |
| Reggie Jackson | 13.1 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 2.1 | 0.44 | 0.339 | 15.43 |
| Derek Fisher | 5.2 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 0.391 | 0.384 | 10.09 |
Westbrook proved that he’s a freak of nature by returning way earlier than expected from his offseason knee surgery. The early rust was evident, but he eventually settled into his normal form and regained his spot as one of the league’s most dynamic point guards.
With Westbrook in the lineup, Reggie Jackson excelled as the sixth man, but the Boston College product was a good starter for the 36 games Westbrook missed.
Jackson's numbers show how he adapted to his role, becoming more of a facilitator as the starter and focusing on his scoring when he came off the bench as an offensive spark plug:
| Points | 14.1 | 12.3 |
| Assists | 5.1 | 3.4 |
| Rebounds | 3.7 | 4.1 |
| Turnovers | 2.6 | 1.7 |
Beyond the numbers, however, Jackson put together a fantastic season. He grew by leaps and bounds and looked far more comfortable running the offense. His decision-making improved, and he didn’t force the issue as much as he did in his earlier seasons.
The starting experience was invaluable later on in the year when Jackson emerged as OKC’s third scorer and took over with signature performances, like his 32-point outburst in the playoffs against the Memphis Grizzlies:
And bringing up the rear was the ageless Derek Fisher. His numbers were far from impressive, but he made a career of proving his worth beyond the box score, and the same was true last year.
His three-point shooting in particular was invaluable for a Thunder roster devoid of floor-spacing.
Factoring in the injuries, it’s pretty remarkable that the Thunder were able to remain so successful. Kevin Durant’s superhuman MVP season was a substantial part of that, but don’t underestimate the importance of Jackson and his ability to take over in Westbrook’s absence.
It speaks volumes about OKC’s point guard depth that the Thunder were able to be just as dominant while missing their second-best player:
| Record | 34-12 | 25-11 |
| Winning Percentage | .739 | .694 |
What’s Changed This Offseason?
There has only been one physical change to the position: switching in Sebastian Telfair to replace Fisher (now head coach of the New York Knickerbockers). In terms of absolute talent and skill, this is an upgrade, but Telfair isn’t a great fit for what the Thunder need.
Telfair provides more off-the-bounce creativity than Fisher, but he will rarely be called upon to lead the offense with three excellent ball-handlers ahead of him on the depth chart (Westbrook, Jackson and Durant). More importantly, Telfair is a clear downgrade from Fisher as a three-point shooter.
| Derek Fisher | 37.4 | 38.4 |
| Sebastian Telfair | 32.0 | 35.3 |
He’s a solid third-string point guard who will be effective in the event of an injury to one of the other point guards on the roster, but the journeyman won’t move the needle very much for this Thunder team.
Head coach Scott Brooks drew plenty of criticism for giving Fisher too much playing time, but his leadership and shooting will be missed. As long as the team isn't counting on Telfair for more than 10 minutes per game, that move shouldn't be too problematic.
Part of the problem when assessing the addition of Telfair is that his role is still unclear. Jackson is a candidate to fill the hole at starting shooting guard, and Telfair's role is much more important if that's the case.
Even though the rotation will (hopefully) be structured in a way that Jackson still occupies most of the backup PG minutes, Telfair would be forced to come close to the 17-plus minutes per game that Fisher played last year. Given that Telfair wasn't even in the NBA last year (he played in the Chinese Basketball Association), counting on him to play such a significant role is a concern.
There could be one other change, and it’s one that will be music to the ears of Thunder fans. Russell Westbrook should enter the season locked, loaded and ready to go.
He declined the opportunity to play for Team USA in the FIBA World Cup, so he had the summer to rest and fully recuperate from a physically taxing season.
What to Expect in 2014-15
Jackson’s contract status (he’s eligible for an extension) could throw a wrench into the works, but, barring a James Harden-like trade, OKC will still be rolling with Westbrook and Jackson in the backcourt. That’s a very good thing.
Given that they’re both still so young, it’s reasonable to expect even better versions of Westbrook and Jackson this year. Hopefully that means a Westbrook who doesn’t settle for so many perimeter jumpers and takes better care of the basketball.
Taking care of the basketball is a priority for Jackson, too. Of the 100 league point guards who played any minutes last year, Westbrook ranked dead last and Jackson was 74th in terms of turnovers per game. That has to change moving forward.
Jackson also emphasized his shooting as an area that he's been working on this summer in an interview with Darnell Mayberry of NewsOK.com:
"I feel like I’ve improved on my long ball skills and can still improve even more. I want to shoot 40 percent or higher. I’m actually aiming for 50. So hopefully that will put me at 40 percent plus. But I think mid-range. I feel like I worked a lot on my floater. That’s an area I think I’m good at, getting to the basket and shooting floaters and finishing around the rim. But I think the next step for me is being able to shoot pull-ups, especially coming off screens.
"
Given that only six players in NBA history have ever shot over 50 percent from beyond the arc for a season, that goal is more than a little optimistic, but improving his jumper will go a long way toward helping the OKC offense.
Another wrinkle for the point guard position is that Coach Brooks threw out some two-PG lineups last year—something he had rarely done before.
Jackson and Westbrook shared the court for 395 minutes last season, per NBA.com. That’s 395 minutes more than they had ever played together in their careers.
We will see a duo that looks more comfortable playing together in lineups that are offensively devastating.
Beyond that, Thunder fans are just hoping to see more of the same. As long as the top two point guards stay healthy, OKC is in very good shape at the point guard spot.
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