NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 07: Chris Paul #3 and Dennis Schroder #17 of the Oklahoma City Thunder in action against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on January 07, 2020 in New York City. Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-103. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
The Oklahoma City Thunder continually surprised this season and it could culminate in a playoff series victory.
After Russell Westbrook and Paul George made their way out of Oklahoma City last summer, many thought the Thunder would fall apart. A roster with no real continuity outside of Steven Adams and Dennis Schroder, a head coach that sat on the hot seat and some questionable trade decisions seemed to eliminate any chance of even making the playoffs.
There is a reason we play the games, though, and the Thunder are an example of that. Despite all the doubters and critiques, Oklahoma City earned a 41-24 record this year. With that, came a spot in the NBA bubble and currently, the sixth seed in the constantly-evolving Western Conference playoff race. We now know that Oklahoma City is a competitive team, but can they really win a playoff series? Absolutely.
The danger zone in the West is the seven or eight seed, an immediate matchup with the beasts of Los Angeles. Were that to be the case, Oklahoma City would likely be packing their bags and going home. However, the Thunder hold a three-game cushion over Dallas in the seven seed and the only way is up to as high as the three seed.
Home court advantage is irrelevant here, but matchups are. It looks to be Denver, Houston or Utah for the Thunder.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have the talent and mentality to pull off an upset.
Against Denver, it was a season split. In nearly every major statistic, the teams are almost identical. However, Oklahoma City find themselves in much better form right now than the Nuggets. Denver has been seemingly running on fumes throughout the bubble, with players arriving late or missing seeding games due to injury, including star guard Jamal Murray. As a result, they just got trounced by the Heat and are moving in the wrong direction heading into the playoffs.
The Thunder, on the other hand, could not be in better shape. After going 18-5 heading into the hiatus, OKC returned with a statement win over the Jazz as even Andre Roberson returned to the floor after spending years on the sidelines. With two teams heading down opposite paths, a first-round upset over the Nuggets seems plausible.
One team that is surging right now is the Houston Rockets. It was no secret that a refreshed James Harden and Westbrook duo would be dangerous, hence a win over the Bucks defeat last night. This would be a challenge for the Thunder, but the formula against Houston is simple: play with size.
Ever since adopting the small-ball lineup, Houston has a weakness against larger opponents. Steven Adams and Nerlens Noel could dominate on the boards while space shooters like Danilo Gallinari could further open up the floor. That worked in the two most recent matchups, both Oklahoma City victories. It’s certainly a different situation now, but the Thunder have the depth to pose problems for the Rockets, not to mention one of the best perimeter defenses. They hold teams to just 34 percent from deep and limit the number of free throws, which bodes well against a team that shoots and gets to the line more than any other.
Then comes the Jazz, a team that Oklahoma City just handled with ease. It was a wire-to-wire win, with Chris Paul dominating the floor with 18 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists, along with 19 from Gilgeous-Alexander and a double-double from Adams.
That trio is as consistent and dynamic as any other in the league on the offense, not to mention the number of role players that compliment both in scoring and on the defensive picture. Many teams would be glad to have Dennis Schroder as their starting guard, while Darius Bazley’s scrimmage success looks to translate to the postseason.
Outside of the Rockets, there is not a first-round matchup that should really intimidate Oklahoma City, Denver and Utah are both division foes the Thunder have seen before and succeeded against. There is nothing flashy about the Thunder, just hard-fought basketball. Sam Presti has built a balanced team with talents all over the floor and the bench, with a head coach in Billy Donovan who knows how to manage it all. In a playoff scenario like this, that is exactly the type of team that poses a serious threat.
They are such a young team too, with six players 22 or younger, that a few years from now we may be having this same conversation, but replace “playoff series” with “conference finals.”
