Oklahoma City Thunder and Their Three Main Challengers in the West
With the NBA playoffs soon upon us, the playoff picture is coming into focus. And the Oklahoma City Thunder don't have as clear a path as expected at the beginning of the season.
Here's a breakdown of the three biggest threats to the Thunder.
The defending champs won't go down easily. With Dirk Nowitzki regaining form, the Mavericks again have a reliable scorer who carved up Oklahoma City's defense a year ago. In addition, the Mavericks still have a top 10 defense in terms of points allowed, even with the loss of Tyson Chandler.
In the playoffs, wins are earned through tough defense and half-court execution, and the Mavericks have a much stronger defense than the Thunder. The guile and experience of the Mavericks should make them a legitimate threat in the West.
Again, experience will come into play. Gregg Popovich manages his players' minutes better than any coach in the league, which should lead to the Spurs having better-rested starters come playoff time. He also knows the difference between an insignificant regular-season game and a playoff game, which possibly means that the Spurs have only been playing hard enough to secure a playoff spot.
Given how smooth their offense has looked, it should be scary to see how effective it can be when the team is actually trying its hardest.
Popovich also has given a lot of reps to his bench, which is vital to the team's success. Bench production means everything in the playoffs, and so far, the San Antonio bench looks like it's up for the task.
The recent trade for Stephen Jackson also should improve the team's chances. Jackson is a gritty defender who can shoot lights out when he gets hot. He's also played for Popovich before, which might explain why the Spurs traded for him.
Jackson also has made a commitment to winning and is already a champion with the Spurs. As for Richard Jefferson, he never really fit in with the Spurs offense and was basically the weak link in the starting unit. In essence, the Spurs traded the weakest link on the team and turned him into a proven commodity who will play to the best of his abilities.
The Spurs can never be discounted in the playoffs and should test the Thunder in every way, should they meet up.
The Lakers are looking better and better as the season progresses. They have recently added Ramon Sessions and Jordan Hill.
Sessions is a huge improvement at point guard, which should give the Lakers a better chance to counter Russell Westbrook. No, they couldn't acquire Dwight Howard, but that might be a good thing as they kept their frontcourt duo of Pao Gasol and Andrew Bynum intact. Together, they represent the best chance the Lakers have of beating the Thunder.
If the Lakers utilize their bigs correctly, they can pound the Thunder down low, which is the Thunder's biggest weakness. In addition, having Hill should allow Gasol and Bynum to rest more, saving them for the playoffs.
Kobe Bryant is still a top-five player who the Lakers can rely on for large stretches. If he gets hot against the Thunder, he will be difficult to stop. The Lakers' offensive combination of Gasol, Bynum and Bryant would be hard for any team to stop, especially the Thunder.
While the Thunder still have a strong chance to win the West, any of these teams still pose a legitimate threat.
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