The Oklahoma City Thunder are on pace to easily win the Western Conference and secure the best record in the NBA this season, yet many don’t view the young squad as true contenders. Gilbert Arenas explained that his lack of faith in OKC’s championship chances comes down to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s play style.
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SGA could be bringing home his first MVP award when the regular season comes to a close, but Arenas believes the 26-year-old’s free foul-drawing skillset could hurt the Thunder come playoff time. The postseason is a different game, and closer attention is paid to foul calls, which could hurt SGA, the league leader in free throw attempts.
Arenas doesn’t think the Thunder superstar will be able to get to the line nearly as much in a hotly contested playoff series. “What Shai is great at is getting fouled. What happens when the playoffs come and [the refs] don’t wanna blow that whistle?” the three-time All-Star questioned.
If their leader gets shut down in the postseason, OKC could see another quick playoff exit. Still the youngest team in the league, Arenas questions whether they could handle a veteran-laden team like the Lakers or Nuggets. “If you’re Lakers or Denver, you want your second-round matchup to be against that young OKC,” he stressed.
The former Washington Wizard believes that Luka Doncic would be the one to get calls over SGA in a hypothetical Lakers-Thunder matchup. Add how adept LeBron James is at getting to the line into the equation, and the free throw advantage OKC usually has suddenly disappears.
Oklahoma City continues to be dismissed as a true playoff threat
Regular season dominance doesn’t mean much without playoff success, and this version of the Oklahoma City Thunder is completely unproven in that department. As a result, insiders continue to doubt the team’s position as true contenders despite their league-best record.
The Thunder boast an exciting cast of young stars, but the team would likely be struggling for a play-in spot in the West without the heroics of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He’s responsible for over a third of the team’s scoring on a nightly basis, and that could hurt the team if SGA is keyed in on even more aggressively.
If the seventh-year guard isn’t able to get to his spots and get to the line at his usual rate, the Thunder could be in trouble over the course of a seven-game playoff series. The franchise will have to hope the likes of Jalen Williams, Aaron Wiggins, and Chet Holmgren are able to step up in what will be an incredibly important postseason for the Thunder.
