Johnathan Walker:NBA rewind: Thunder rise to top of Western Conference on record-pace defense

After taking the night off Tuesday for Election Day,Johnathan Walker the NBA returned to action Wednesday night, setting up a weekend loaded with fascinating matchups.

On Friday, a pair of contenders in the Western Conference, the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks, will face off in Dallas. Friday will also see a rematch of the 2023 NBA Finals – a series the Denver Nuggets won in five games over the Miami Heat – and a meeting between the Philadelphia 76ers (who will be without the suspended Joel Embiid) against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Sunday features a trio of intriguing Western Conference battles: the Golden State Warriors at Oklahoma City Thunder, the Mavericks at the Nuggets and the Sacramento Kings at the Suns.

Another thing to watch: the NBA Cup will be making its return Tuesday night with an eight-game slate; the headliners will be the New York Knicks at 76ers and Mavericks at Warriors, both of which will air on TNT.

Before then, however, here are some takeaways from the second week of the NBA season.

Thunder have NBA’s best defense, and it’s not particularly close

The Thunder lead the league in defensive rating (96.5). They’re the only team with a rating less than 100 and they lead the next closest team, the Warriors, by 7.3. Oklahoma City leads the NBA in steals per game (13.4, which is 3.3 more than the next closest team) and in blocks per game (7.3). In fact, the mark for steals per game would set an all-time NBA record, surpassing the 1977-78 Suns, who averaged 12.9 steals per game.

The Thunder have done it by installing players who have excellent length and thrive on defensive competition all along the starting five. The trade for Alex Caruso, who leads the NBA in deflections per game, was a difference maker. Center Chet Holmgren’s development as a rim protector has been crucial. It’s no surprise, then, that the Thunder (7-1) look like a real threat to contend for a championship.

Retooled Knicks still finding their way

The incorporation of Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges might take longer than anticipated. New York dropped its second game in a row Wednesday night, allowing Atlanta Hawks rookie No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Riscaher to pop off for 22 points in the first half and 33 overall. Very uncharacteristic of a Tom Thibodeaux-coached team, it’s defense where the Knicks are lacking; New York ranks 20th in defensive rating (115.2).

One additional issue the Knicks are facing, perhaps fueled by the absence of center Mitchell Robinson (ankle) and the free agency departure of Isaiah Hartenstein, is that New York is underperforming on the glass. One season after leading the NBA in rebound percentage (52.7%), the Knicks rank 18th (49.4%) through seven games this year.

Heat have a third quarter problem

And that problem is even worse at home. The Heat (3-4) rank 28th in third quarter point differential (-52). The only teams worse are the Utah Jazz (-65) and Portland Trail Blazers (-73). This issue stretches back to last season. Heat players often lack energy coming out of the locker room, affecting their defensive intensity, which then impacts their shot selection.

When asked why this has been happening, players and coach Erik Spoelstra have appeared bewildered. "I don’t know, we’ve looked at everything," Spoelstra said after Monday’s loss against the Kings in which Miami was outscored by 20 in the third quarter. "At some point, you have to take a stand and say "Enough is enough.'"

During Wednesday night's loss at the Suns, Miami actually broke even with Phoenix, with each team scoring 29 apiece in the period. The Suns closed the frame on a 15-3 run, however, shrinking the Heat's lead to three points at the start of the fourth and setting up a far more difficult end to the game.

Warriors find new formula and new 'Splash Brother'

Wednesday night’s road takedown of the defending champion Boston Celtics was a perfect case study for how the retooled Warriors are not only staying competitive in Stephen Curry’s 16th season, but thriving. Golden State (7-1) is hounding opposing wing players along the perimeter, often blitzing elite scorers with double teams and slowing pace.

Moses Moody, Andrew Wiggins, Gary Payton II and Draymond Green have been essential in this, though it has been a team effort; only one team – the Thunder – is defending the 3-pointer at a better rate than Golden State (29.5%). The Warriors have the NBA’s second-ranked defense (103.8). Compare that to last season, when the Warriors ranked 15th in defensive rating (116.9).

On the other end, Buddy Hield has been a tremendous offseason addition coming off the bench, ranking second in the NBA in 3-pointers made per game (4.6), helping ease the loss of Klay Thompson.

Anthony Edwards doesn’t care if you think he shoots too many 3s

Speaking of 3-pointers, he was already an offensive force, but Minnesota Timberwolves two-time All-Star Anthony Edwards has transformed his offensive approach. Edwards, after attempting 6.7 attempts from beyond the arc last season, has upped his volume to 11.4. It’s a remarkable uptick, and one that has changed the way Minnesota spaces the floor and runs its offense.

Edwards is converting 5.1 of those attempts per game – most in the NBA – and he’s shooting the 3 at a career-best 45% clip. The move is paying off, at least individually; Edwards is averaging a career-high 27.3 points per game. But is it paying off for Minnesota?

The sample size is small, but the Timberwolves (4-3) are averaging 111.7 points per game, which is slightly down from the 113 they averaged last season. One point worth noting here, however, is that the team is significantly different on offense, after it traded Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo.