Today the youthful Oklahoma City Thunder are fighting for their playoff lives against a very game, veteran Dallas Mavericks team.
Young playoff teams need to learn the painful lessons required to become champions. And after a magical regular season where OKC shocked the world and took the #1 seed in the Western Conference, they are learning that the 82-game dress rehearsal is all fun and giggles until they get immersed in the fiery cauldron of playoff basketball.
Here’s some thoughts from a Thunder blog called Thunderous Intentions discussing the flaws Dallas is exploiting:
The OKC Thunder revealed a lack of offensive firepower, dropping their pivotal Game 5 against the Dallas Mavericks, 92-104, to go down 3-2 in the Western Conference Semifinals.
The Thunder's offense looked far from what it usually displays as the team relied heavily on its franchise superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for most of the way.
When SGA was not on the floor, the offense stagnated. The baskets came few and far between for most of the game, allowing the Mavericks to build a sizeable lead in which they never relented.
While shooting variance is a factor (the Thunder shot 25 percent from beyond the three-point line), Oklahoma City struggled to score against the Mavericks' defense, which was predicated on keeping their center to the paint at all costs.
Mavericks blog Mavs Moneyball doubled down on how OKC is struggling to put the ball in the basket:
So which is it: are the Thunder just unlucky? Are they too young? Are the Mavericks playing elite defense? The answer is Yes. It’s somewhere in the middle and it’s all of them at the same time. But chalking it up to any of them is disingenuous to what has been a top notch series.
Gilgeous-Alexander cannot be stopped in the midrange, and for long stretches of this series he’s had to carry the offense solo. But the Thunder’s offense has steadily declined through the series, and that’s not just bad luck — that’s a testament to the grit from the Mavericks. The Thunder have had point totals of 117 (46-percent from three), 110 (33-percent), 101 (33-percent), 100 (26-percent), and 92 (25-percent)...in that order. Game 5’s 92 points is the lowest total of the season for the Thunder.
Hmmm OKC needs some one to create their own offense, has plenty of interesting young potential trade chips, and have a former MVP who might be able to assist them on this…HIS NAME IS KEVIN DURANT!
Durant, a keen basketball watcher who is also very cognizant of his legacy, has been stung by criticism that he "can't get the job done" without Curry or Thompson. For the moment, it does not appear as if he will seriously compete for a championship on a disappointing Suns team, and speculation could soon intensify as to the 35-year-old's next move. Although he will not be a free agent until 2026, Durant can still demand a trade if his happiness wanes in the desert, and OKC's draft pick ammunition would make a blockbuster trade possible for the future Hall of Famer.
Fascinating! But KD can’t help them right now; they’ll have to deal with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving today if they want to have a chance to keep their championship dreams alive.
When I watch a good game between two teams I otherwise dislike or root against, my habit is to switch allegiance constantly, rooting always for whichever team is losing. This brilliant strategy ensures that I’ll be disappointed in the end, no matter the outcome.
What OKC needs to do in the off-season is fix their karma and go back to Seattle
Bonus points for letting Thunder come back as our mascot