It was a botched play, a turnover in a big Western Conference matchup. The Thunder couldn’t have foreseen that months later the mistake would become a more-explored part of its offense.
In a late-February game in Denver, Russell Westbrook didn’t mean to bobble the ball out of bounds as Steven Adams handed off. But upon further inspection, Westbrook and Adams were trying to perform a seemingly simple task they weren’t used to executing.
In Sunday’s Blue and White scrimmage, Adams and the Thunder’s big men likely completed more handoffs to moving guards in three 10-minute quarters than they averaged per game last season.