The ball swung to the wing and on the catch, Thunder guard Dennis Schröder assumed the triple threat position, ready to shoot, pass or dribble. Same with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chris Paul and a host of other Thunder perimeter players on Tuesday night in Game 1 against the Houston Rockets.
The difference was that there was no Rockets defender hugged up close to them like normal. Houston defenders hung back, not all the way in the lane, not far enough that the Thunder guards were wide open, but just enough to make OKC’s guards hesitate. In those fractions of seconds, shooting windows vanished due to the length and quickness of Houston’s five-guard lineup.