The Oklahoma City Thunder are getting off to a slow start in the 2012-13 NBA season, and the Toronto Raptors are the next team up hoping to catch them off guard. OKC is typically a difficult team to beat, but it's clear the team is adjusting to life without James Harden, which has Toronto hoping for a win while the Thunder figure things out.
Chris Walder from Raptors HQ has the rundown on tonight's game with his three keys for winning:
Usually considered to be one of the tougher matchups of the year (on any schedule for any team mind you), Toronto is catching the Thunder at the absolute perfect time.
Oklahoma City has dropped 2 of its first 3 games, including a 104-95 loss Sunday night to the Josh Smith-less Atlanta Hawks. Russell Westbrook is shooting just 38% from the field, Kevin Durant is turning the ball over 5.3 times a game and the starting unit is scoring just 90.4 points per 100 possessions.
Now is the time for Toronto to make a statement and prey on a Thunder squad which is at its most vulnerable.
Clearly the Thunder are not firing on all cylinders, but it's only a matter of time until they start to do so. The aforementioned players along with Kevin Martin and Serge Ibaka are simply too talented to remain in such a funk.
Perhaps it's a lack of rest from a summer at the Olympics. Perhaps it's adjusting to the Harden trade to the Rockets. Perhaps it's just a three game slump which happens to the best of teams. Either way, expect the Thunder to start to roll and the Raptors to find a challenge waiting for them on Tuesday night.