Oklahoma City Thunder: Is a deep playoff run on the horizon?
By Nick Alvarez
Are the Oklahoma City Thunder primed for a deep playoff run?
For most teams, the NBA’s bubble restart isn’t going to be the most ideal of circumstances. Most teams are going to have to work to rebuild their momentum. Some teams are going to suffer the loss of key contributors due to the NBA granting players the ability to opt-out of the season’s restart. The Oklahoma City Thunder, however, is in a much different position.
This year’s Thunder team has been surprising all season, a team many projected to barely make or even miss the playoffs was off to a 40-24 record before the season stopped. A unique team that was a mixture of veteran and younger players seemed to be looking to the future, but that proved to not be the case.
As the season gets set to resume in only a matter of weeks, this Thunder team might be even more dangerous now. They have the right mix of factors that could lead to the team making a run in the West this season thanks in part to the deficiencies that other teams might be facing. What might seem like a terrible situation for other teams could just be the perfect one for the Thunder.
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Believe in the Oklahoma City Thunder
This Thunder team is dangerous, and they’re a team that can beat you in many ways. This factor is especially true now as the Thunder comes into Orlando as one of the healthiest teams in the NBA with their veteran players also being able to use the pandemic layoff as recovery time.
Before even talking about all the offensive ways the Thunder has to beat teams in the NBA, we need to talk about their defense. For the season the Thunder had the 9th ranked defense in the entire NBA and were consistently making it tough for opposing teams to get points.
They limited their opponents to only 11 3-point makes per game which were good for 6th in the league in that category and made it a struggle for opposing teams to get good ball-movement holding teams to the 5th fewest assists per game in the league.
When looking at other teams in the West like Houston, Denver, Utah, and Dallas their offensive attacks are all reliant on good spacing and excellent ball-movement. Oklahoma City with their team-based defense from coach Billy Donovan and excellent defenders like Chris Paul, Andre Roberson, Steven Adams, and Nerlens Noel have a good chance at really being able to slow those opposing attacks down.
Then, on the offensive side of the ball, the Thunder has many ways of beating teams there as well. With the three-headed monster of guards Chris Paul, Dennis Schroder, and young franchise cornerstone Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder have multiple ball-handlers who can attack in OKC’s heavy pick-and-roll attack. Each one brings their own nuances to the game that makes every possession unpredictable.
Have a good perimeter defense, no problem the team has forward Danilo Gallinari who has still shown the ability to an effective scorer and deadly 3-point shooter who can attack defenses on all three levels. Then if all else fails the team can use big-man Steven Adams to bully his way into the paint for easy scores.
The Thunder simply has a game that is suited for the slow pace grind of playoff basketball on both ends of the floor and that’s going to be a big deal in Orlando.
Why the Oklahoma City Thunder could have a leg up in the bubble
There are a few things about the bubble that could help Oklahoma City’s ability to make a playoff run. The big factor that jumps out first is that the Thunder played to a 20-11 record when on the road during this season which was the 4th best record in the NBA for games away from home.
Some teams will clearly struggle with the atmosphere in Orlando and the lack of homecourt advantage but the Thunder’s performance on the road gives a good indication that they won’t be one of those teams.
Then when looking at the landscape for the rest of the Western Conference, the Lakers, Mavericks, Trail Blazers, Suns, and Rockets all have players that have opted out and will need to be replaced. In some cases, major role players have left these teams. The Thunder is going to have a leg up by having their rotation completely locked in at Orlando right now.
Lastly, there’s the Chris Paul factor. Chris Paul is one of the most motivated players in the NBA right now after being scrutinized about his age and ability and he’s out to continue to show he has a lot left in the tank after his resurgence in the regular season. On top of that, Paul’s role as president of the NBA’s player union means that he was a big part of the Orlando plan coming together and is motivated to ensure that it works.
Look for Chris Paul to come out on fire to show the NBA product will not fall off in Orlando. Paul, who was one of the season’s leader in clutch scoring, should continue getting the ball in those moments and look to prove something both for himself and the league.
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As the season is ramping up to get back underway, one thing should be a given right now many teams across the league should fear the Oklahoma City Thunder, and those teams should look to avoid them at all costs. The Thunder might just go on a fiery run in this year’s playoffs.