The Oklahoma City Thunder have been so dominant that Shai Gilgeous Alexander often sits out entire 4th quarters because they have such big leads in blowout games. He’s also been extremely healthy this season, missing only 2 of OKC’s 63 games so far. With the playoffs coming closer, OKC are heavy favorites to lift the Larry O’Brien, but Kevin Garnett has one vital question for Mike Daigneault and his men- what happens if SGA gets neutralized?
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His question is certainly a valid one. While it hasn’t looked possible this season, the playoffs are a whole different ball game. We’ve already seen “unstoppable” players kept in miraculous check this season, with JJ Redick’s plan for Nikola Jokic coming to mind.
Garnett wants to know how the Thunder would fare in close games if SGA is kept quiet by the opposition’s defensive strategies.
“What happens when you take Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander] out of it?” he questioned. “Do you actually think your supporting cast can continue to do the same things, in pressure situations in the playoffs?”
Garnett brought up the defensive strategies that the Lakers used to neutralise Jokic and Karl Anthony Towns. JJ Redick’s idea of putting two or three players on Jokic to wear him down physically worked wonders the last time the Lakers met the Nuggets.
The big Serbian ended the game with a measly 12 points in 35 minutes, and the Lakers won by 23 points. With the lack of playoff experience that the Thunder squad has, Garnett does raise valid concerns.
OKC hasn’t had to play without SGA a lot this season unless you count the 4th quarters they play when they’re blowing teams out. However, we did see the Timberwolves neutralize SGA once in a contest in February, where they overcame a 25-point deficit. The Wolves roared back into the game in the 4th quarter and won it in OT.
While we haven’t yet seen other teams implement the same defensive strategies, we surely can expect that to happen in the playoffs. With all we’ve seen of the Thunder this season, they certainly have the talent to cope with an SGA off-game, but what happens when the pressure is on?
The Lakers’ threat to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder
Despite a 10-point loss to the Celtics last night, the Lakers have emerged as a surprise contender since the Luka Doncic trade. The offense has flowed freely, with both Doncic and LeBron James fitting seamlessly together. Their defense has also been stifling, with the Purple and Gold boasting a league-leading defensive rating since midway through January.
Doncic and James are historically two of the league’s best playoff risers, and their postseason experience will be invaluable if the Lakers make it in. The Thunder, on the other hand, is a very young team, with 30-year-old Alex Caruso being their oldest player.
The added mental strain of facing the player who knocked them out of the playoffs last season could just make it worse.
Most predictions have the Thunder and the Lakers facing off sometime in the postseason, and there’s a very high chance that whoever comes out on top there could go on to win the entire thing.
With LeBron James chasing ring #5 and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looking to solidify an all-time great season with ring #1, the West looks like it’ll offer some of the most exciting playoff basketball we’ve seen for a while.
