The Rebounding Battle Could Decide Thursday's Battle Between OKC and LA
The rebounding battle can often swing the balance of any basketball game.
So far this season, the Oklahoma City Thunder have underwhelmed in that category.
Playing with small lineups slotting either Derrick Favors, Mike Muscala or rookie Jeremiah Robinson-Earl at center, the Thunder are often going to be at a disadvantage on the boards. So far this year, OKC has pulled down 44.4 rebounds per game, which ranks No. 23 in the NBA.
Thankfully for Oklahoma City, they’ll square off against another poor rebounding team on Thursday night.
The Los Angeles Lakers rank 26th in the NBA this season, averaging 43.9 rebounds per game.
In the prior matchup between the Thunder and the Lakers, OKC won the rebounding battle 42-40, helping Oklahoma City pull the upset on LA.
If they want to repeat that feat on the road, the Thunder will likely have to be even more dominant cleaning the glass.
Monday night at the Staples Center, OKC coach Mark Daigneault said he wasn’t pleased with his team’s rebounding efforts.
“I thought it was obviously a problem early and they didn’t really make us pay,” Daigneault said on Wednesday. “But we gave up a ton of offensive rebounds early in the game, and then we really tightened the screws.”
The Thunder ended up losing, though they were able to level the rebounding battle at 51-all by the end of the contest.
One way OKC can offset their undersized interior is by utilizing their size in the backcourt to help out.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey are both excellent rebounders, and they helped out tremendously on Monday night against the Clippers.
“I thought (Theo Maledon) got in there and was blocking out,” Daigneault said. “(Josh Giddey) was on the glass, (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) was on the glass, (Darius Bazley) was on the glass, and we got some good stuff there.”
But Oklahoma City will have to be weary of one of the best rebounding point guards in the NBA in Russell Westbrook.
If the Thunder can limit their former star and win the rebounding battle, especially on the offensive boards, they’ll stand a good chance of popping up to burn the Lakers for the second time already this season.
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