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USA Today
15-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ranking the 4 play-in tournament teams OKC Thunder could face in Round 1 of NBA playoffs
Ranking the 4 play-in tournament teams OKC Thunder could face in Round 1 of NBA playoffs Like Joaquin Phoenix sitting on his throne in "Gladiator," the Oklahoma City Thunder must hold a week of playoff practices not knowing who their Round 1 opponent will be until Friday night. The play-in tournament will determine which four teams capture the seventh and eighth seeds. Arguably Adam Silver's best brainchild, the play-in tournament is an extra espresso shot to your fully caffeinated iced coffee filled with enough sugar to make your dentist squeal. Four teams enter and only two leave battered and bruised against the top two seeds. The Thunder will have to wait for who among the Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks capture the eighth seed. The Grizzlies-Warriors loser will face the Mavericks-Kings winner to determine that on Friday. Here's who the Thunder should root for to advance as Thunder Wire ranks the four play-in tournament teams from easiest to most difficult matchups: 4. Sacramento Kings In a season that's felt like a decade, the Kings played their season opener with a different head coach and All-Star-esque guard combo than it did in their season finale. Mike Brown and De'Aaron Fox were recast for Doug Christie and Zach LaVine. Talk about a downgrade. In typical Kings fashion, ownership refuses to concede an insurmountable situation. They zombied through the second half of the season with a Chicago Bulls reunion of LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. Meanwhile, Domantas Sabonis has dealt with injuries. The Kings' Frankenstein roster made the play-in only because they had to. Nobody else in the West wanted to step up. That's one of the downsides of the tournament as only the bottom 10 teams see their season end after 82 games. If they get lucky and advance, the Thunder should make easy work of them. They won all three matchups convincingly with the closest margin being 16 points. 3. Dallas Mavericks Everything said about the Kings can be copied and pasted about the Mavericks. Except Sacramento's impromptu roster makeover is peanuts compared to Dallas'. In the trade that shocked the NBA world, the Mavericks completely revamped their roster and identity when they dealt Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis. The repercussions of the deal will be felt for the next decade. The Mavericks completely alienated the relationship with their fanbase by one move. Doncic's return to Dallas last week was highlighted by a tearful tribute video and the crowd audibly chanting for GM Nico Harrison to be fired. Another trickle-down effect of the deal was that the Mavericks no longer have the Thunder's number. Before the trade, they had a fear factor that the rest of the West didn't. They won seven of nine games going back to last year's playoff series. That's vanished — even more so now with Kyrie Irving out due to a torn ACL. All of their scariness is gone. 2. Memphis Grizzlies Another team in turmoil, the Grizzlies only made the third-most shocking move of the season when they fired Taylor Jenkins two weeks ago. That feels like old news now in such a transaction-happy season. To their credit, the risky move has had some dividends since then. Ja Morant has played his best basketball. He returned to being the focal point of their offense. Under Jenkins, he was more of a complimentary piece. Now he's back to playing a hero-ball style that makes him a serious scoring threat. That said, they continue to lose to any formidable opponent. That's been a theme all year. They beat up the basement dwellers but get punched down by teams at or above their tier. The Thunder won all four games convincingly. They were all blowouts despite entering some of those games down a couple of guys while the Grizzlies were completely healthy. This would be a fun series with a clash of styles and the storyline of OKC yanking Memphis' chain as the up-and-coming squad, but it'd be quick work as the latter's lack of depth would be exposed. 1. Golden State Warriors This is going chalk with the standings but it's tough not to be most scared of the Warriors. They're just one of five teams to beat the Thunder at least twice this season. They also have the championship pedigree and talent to be one of the more dangerous eighth seeds ever. We all know what Stephen Curry can do. Even at 37 years old, he can completely flip a playoff series with demoralizing 3-pointers. Don't even get me started on Draymond Green. For as talented as he is, having to deal with him for an entire playoff series could invoke headaches and crash-outs on the Thunder. Like The Joker, he loves being in chaos. Then there's Jimmy Butler. Since he was acquired at the trade deadline, the Warriors have been one of the best teams in the NBA. The 35-year-old is the perfect final running mate for Curry as he oozes playoff experience with two NBA Finals trips on the Miami Heat. Pair that with his favorable whistle, he could win a playoff game by himself. If the Thunder match up with the Warriors in the playoffs, it'll be a cruel joke by the basketball gods. Enjoyed being one of the most dominant regular-season teams in NBA history? Here's your reward, a battle-tested Golden State squad that could replay what its 2007 squad did.
USA Today
02-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Mark Daigneault calls Chet Holmgren's rhythm important but can't be forced
Mark Daigneault calls Chet Holmgren's rhythm important but can't be forced Enjoying one of the greatest regular seasons ever, doubters have flipped over every couch and checked the back of every cabinet to criticize the Oklahoma City Thunder. Want to dissect their franchise-best record? They have blowout wins from the top to the bottom of the NBA. Worried about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander? He's a consistent 30 points every night. Worried about the bench lineups? Here comes Jalen Williams and company to save the day. Ah, here's something amid their 10-game win streak — Chet Holmgren's struggles since he returned from a hip fracture that cost him three months. It's been an up-and-down two months for the 22-year-old. He's had plenty of games where he's faded into the background or struggled to leave an impact on the offensive end. That comes with the unfortunate reality of Holmgren's return. It can't be emphasized enough how serious of a season-altering injury a hip fracture is. This isn't a rolled ankle or a jammed finger. Reality is he'll likely need an offseason to get back to his All-Star-esque ascension before he suffered the injury. Throw in playing a new position, it's a lot to put on Holmgren's plate. Patience will be needed. There will be nights where the seven-footer scored 20-plus points and nights where he is held to single-digit points. That said, the good news is the Thunder don't need that version of Holmgren to win a championship. They've adapted in his absence and Isaiah Hartenstein's career season has been helpful. All that's required is Holmgren to hit on his outside looks and be a play-finisher. According to Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault, Holmgren gaining a rhythm is critical for their aspirations but is something they can't force. The basketball genius creatively compared it to an intangible of finding a groove to the music at a dance. 'Critical, but not something to be forced. He's gotta work back. He's not fully himself yet, and he's missed some time recently with a couple of maintenance things. But you can't force rhythm," Daigneault said. "It's like you're at a wedding like, 'Dance better!' That's not gonna happen. You just gotta dance to the music. That's what he needs to do." All the Thunder can hope for is for Holmgren to gain comfort in these last handful of regular season games. If he can do that, there are close to zero holes to poke on OKC's roster and playoff limitations.
