The OKC Thunder welcomed back Russell Westbrook for the home opener, but a non existent perimeter or transition defense keeps them win-less this season.

Clearly the OKC Thunder are thrilled to get Russell Westbrook back and his presence was immediate. However, a youthful athletic up tempo Kings squad dismantled the Thunder to relegate OKC win-less this season. In fact, this is the first time in franchise history the team has started 0-3.

Things don’t get any rosier for the Thunder as the Boston Celtics represent their next game and if Billy Donovan had issues matching the Kings he should start sweating now at the prospect of a loaded Celts squad.

Sacramento Kings 131 Oklahoma City Thunder 120

This game wasn’t lost because the Kings are a better team. Nor was it lost because the Thunder were thrown off by trying to re-integrate Westbrook. The OKC Thunder lost this game for one simple reason – a lack of defense and more specifically EFFORT on defense.

I won’t spoil the grades, but there is someone on this squad I’ll point to that needs to step up and take ownership of the defensive effort. Allowing the Kings to shoot 54.9 percent from the field and 45.5 percent from the perimeter is unacceptable.

Add to this how anemic the Thunder were from the perimeter where the team shot 9 for 39 or 23.1 percent or the charity stripe 19 of 30 for 63.3 percent. Here’s a thought — hit your free throws because you left 11 free points on the table.

And, if the perimeter shot isn’t falling then run the pick and roll with Westbrook and Adams. Why attempt 39 shots from behind the arc? Like seriously. Of the nine the Thunder connected on four came from the bench – 2 from Schroder, and one each from Diallo and Burton.

With my mini rant over, let’s move on to the grades.