Following a 68 win regular season, the Thunder have started the playoffs scorching hot as they are currently sitting on a 3-0 lead in their first round matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Oklahoma City cruised past almost every team they played this season and they are continuing to dominate in the postseason. The Thunder finished 16 games ahead of the #2 seeded Rockets in the West and had the best overall record in the NBA this season.
Shai-Gilgeous Alexander is the leader of this team and the frontrunner for his first MVP after leading the league in points per game, shooting over 51% from the field. Accompanied by Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City has arguably the best depth and rotation in the NBA.
After falling down at one point by 29 points last night to Memphis, OKC stormed back with a controlling second half, outscoring the Grizzlies by 35 points and taking Game 3 on the road.
No matter the differential, the Thunder can never be counted out. Lots of critics across the association have a main critique about this team: they are too young. Their youth and inexperience hasn't seemed to bother them so far and I don't think it will play a big role for the next rounds to come.
Disregarding a potential playoff run or exit in the upcoming rounds, the question this offseason for the Thunder will be how they can possibly get any better? OKC has a ton of draft capital and depth to spend this offseason to acquire a superstar that can pair well with SGA.
Their flexibility is remarkable and has been on the rise for some time now with Sam Presti as the General Manager. Oklahoma City really has the resources to acquire almost any player in the NBA, and even after a trade they will still have other available assets.
All in all, OKC is in a phenomenal position to be in. Yes, they are going for a championship this year and have a great opportunity to capture the title, but if this year fails, the plan for this offseason is clear: pair Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with another superstar.
No comments:
Post a Comment