The OKC Thunder have won almost every head to head matchup this season. However, they have failed miserably against one: The San Antonio Spurs.
It seems like the Spurs are beating them at their own game. They have a young, tall player at the center. They have a wealth of young, defensive players who can shoot. The Spurs also have a young coach, built on hard work and a team cohesion.
Yes, the Spurs have Wembanyama. The Alien has gifts any player can only imagine. However, Johnson has astutely made their plays all about the team, and not centered on Wemby alone. This takes the pressure off the 22-year old French beanpole.
When the season started, it seemed like OKC was invincible. After a strong start, people talked about a 70-win season. Meanwhile, the Spurs were the team of the future.
Now that OKC has failed miserably against the Spurs with a 1-4 record, it’s clear that Wemby and company are not intimidated by the defending champions. The big problem for the Thunder is that they are now on a collision course with each other.
The Spurs are second in the West, while other contenders in the West have shown serious weaknesses. The Thunder cannot rely on some other team eliminating their Kryptonite.
The Quick, Long Stride
Just like Wemby’s lengthy appendages, the Spurs took a quick, long step to become true contenders. There are still some Spurs fans who don’t know who their new coach is, yet now, the team is ready to march back into where Coach Pop and Tim Duncan ruled–the NBA Playoffs.
Even the legitimate pundits knew they were coming, but not this season! Mitch Johnson has done a genius job to mix all the ingredients together. Sure, Wembanyama is a generational gift, but not all teams could get this type of outcome in their third year.
Side note: A close comparison would be the Orlando Magic who had two consecutive no.1 picks in 1992 and 1993. That was Shaquille O’Neal and Chris Webber, but Webber was traded for Anfernee Hardaway, and they became a tandem that marched to the NBA Finals in 1995. They defeated the returning Michael Jordan in the second round in that run.
Superman
If there’s Kryptonite, there has to be a Superman. This is the ace that OKC has over the Spurs. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander must prove that he truly is the Most Valuable Player by defending their title, likely against the young upstart Spurs in the Western Conference.
San Antonio has tall, athletic wings to guard SGA, but they have not managed to contain him. SGA still had his averages against the Spurs, but they made him struggle for his points, and disrupt the fluidity that makes his team better.
Can the reigning MVP overcome their tall threats to the throne? This is the likely story of the West, unless the Joker returns to form quickly.
PBA Commissioner’s Cup Questions
The biggest question on everyone’s minds: How good is Bol Bol? Is he the real deal, or just height and hype - something Filipinos love to get excited about?
His last team was the Phoenix Suns, and that alone is intimidating since many of his rival imports were already out of the NBA. His stint in Phoenix had flashes of offensive brilliance. Now, he is the tallest guy in the league.
TNT Tropang Giga is the team to watch, but there is another burning question:
Can Justin Brownlee cope with the taller imports?
That has not been an issue in the past, but times have drastically changed. Brownlee is now older and slower, and this is probably the tallest batch of imports ever. Ginebra used to have other tall players like Christian Stanhardinger to deal with the imports. Now, they only have 39-year old Japeth Aguilar.
Rookie to Watch: Geo Chiu
Making his debut this conference, the first overall pick now has to prove his worth. At 24 years old, the former Atenean should be mature enough, as his upside has dwindled. Juan Gomez de Liano has proven his worth impressively. Now Geo needs to prove he’s not a bust.
