Entering the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder have everything to prove. Can they hold up against playoff-proven teams? Will their lack of experience show under pressure? And who, if anyone, will rise as their unexpected difference-maker?
Judging by Game 1, those questions might already have answers. The Thunder throttled the Memphis Grizzlies in the first half, jumping out to a 68-36 lead while forcing Memphis into a brutal 10 percent clip from three. OKCās top-three offense, defense, and net rating from the regular season didnāt just carry over ā it overwhelmed.
But this wasnāt just about stats ā it was about execution. Isaiah Hartenstein came out scorching, dropping 14 points in the first half. Jalen Williams matched him with 14 of his own. Off the bench, Aaron Wiggins hit three threes and tallied 11 points in just nine minutes. And Alex Caruso? A wild +30 in the box score ā the highest of any player with meaningful minutes.
Thunder fans had every reason to enjoy their Sunday. This wasnāt just a win ā it was a dismantling. But lost in the fireworks was one name: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Subscribe to The Whiteboard, FanSidedās daily email newsletter on everything basketball. If you like The Whiteboard, share it with a friend! If you donāt like The Whiteboard, share it with an enemy!
Should Thunder fans be concerned about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander?
SGA finished the first half with just nine points on a cold 2-of-10 shooting, including 1-of-6 from deep. As usual, he found his way to the line, where most of his production came ā the same formula thatās fueled his MVP-caliber year. Still, it didnāt look like the same Shai we saw across 82 games.
And maybe thatās fine. Maybe against an injury-riddled Memphis squad, Shai doesnāt need to be Superman. But his slow start shouldnāt be dismissed ā especially when the MVP race is still breathing. The difference between him and Nikola Jokic may come down to how the postseason plays out.
Yes, the MVP is technically a regular-season award. But we all know better ā deep playoff runs tilt perception. Jokicās 29.6 points, 12.7 boards, and 10.2 assists make history. And in his own Game 1 win, he had with 13 points, four boards, and four assists at halftime. Solid. Efficient. In control.
SGA and Jokic play different roles ā thatās not up for debate. But when the spotlight hits this bright, itās not just about numbers ā itās about command. Jokic looks like the center of the universe. Shai, for now, looks like heās warming up. In a game that showed two extremes, both players finished with very different stat lines. Jokicās effortless control versus SGAās shooting struggles are just the beginning of a long conversation going forward.
The Thunder sent a loud message with their Game 1 blowout. But how far they go ā and how real Shaiās MVP case is ā will be judged not by one dominant half, but by how their star closes the show.
Game 1? Handled. SGA? Still waiting.