Oklahoma City is looking to keep its momentum going.
The Thunder have advanced to the Western Conference Finals with minimal resistance, sweeping both the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers. Oklahoma City has shown its dominance in the first two rounds, averaging a 16.6-point margin of victory.
OKC has shown this level of dominance all year, and it will need to continue throughout the rest of the playoffs. It’s a plethora of areas to point out where the Thunder excel at in the first two rounds, but there are certain areas Oklahoma City must sure up in the next rounds of the postseason.
3 Positives the OKC Thunder Must Carry Over to WCF
Winning the Turnover Battle
The Thunder’s specialty has been turning their defense into offense, making the opponent’s offense a living hell.
Oklahoma City has won the turnover battle in seven of its eight playoff games in the first two rounds. Oklahoma City forced a combined 136 Phoenix and Los Angeles turnovers and scored 183 points off of them in their eight wins. Compared to the Suns and Lakers, the Thunder forced 89 turnovers and scored 90 points off of them.
Controlling the ball continues to play a significant role in the Thunder’s control over its opponents up to this point.
Second-Chance Opportunities
One of the biggest differences between the regular season and the postseason for the Thunder has been their work on the offensive glass, which has created more possessions. In the regular season, OKC ranked 27th in offensive rebounds at only 9.6 per game. The postseason has been a different story for Oklahoma City, averaging 11 offensive rebounds per game.
A big part of that is Isaiah Hartenstein, who is averaging 3.6 offensive boards himself. OKC’s effort and increase in its offensive rebounding production have been effective in its series against the Suns and Lakers. If this effort and level of production continue, the Thunder will have more opportunities to score, thereby increasing their chances of success.
Continued Execution in the Non-Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Minutes
Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander has been the focal point of the opposition’s defensive schemes. Yes, he’s leading the team in scoring this postseason. He is averaging 29.1 points and 7.1 assists per game, while shooting 51.4% from the floor.
Oklahoma City hit a bump in the road at the beginning of the playoffs when Jalen Williams went out with a hamstring injury and has missed the last six games. However, the biggest benefactor has been the Thunder’s depth, and its execution in the non-SGA minutes and against a variety of defensive coverages.
OKC’s depth has led the way, come in full force, and been crucial to their success in the first two rounds. The Thunder are a +7.4, shooting 51.3% from the floor and 39.3% from three, and have an offensive rating of 128.6 and a defensive rating of 102.1 in the 106 non-SGA minutes.
This level of efficiency and effectiveness has resulted in the Thunder averaging the most points per game (121.3) and the best offensive rating (126.3) in the postseason.
Oklahoma City has remained unbeaten up to this point, but the level of competition will get tougher from here on out. The Thunder must continue to execute in these areas to thrive as the playoffs continue.
Main Image: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
