Every team’s fans wish they had Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Most would kill for Chet Holmgren or Jalen Williams.
However, the Thunder’s Game 2 win highlighted the numerous missed opportunities the league has had with members of their roster and what sets OKC apart.
OKC kept a deeper rotation in Game 2 instead of tightening up as many thought they should. They just changed who they put in the rotation, with Kenrich Williams playing 7 minutes, and while Williams didn’t score, OKC went plus-15 in those minutes.
Williams could have wound up anywhere after New Orleans, but he wound up in OKC who used him as a small ball center of all things, and he filled in this season when Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren were out.
Then there’s Alex Caruso. The Lakers let Caruso go over the luxury tax implications. He helped them win a title, and they just passed on him. The Bulls shipped him off for Josh Giddey and no picks. Giddey has some upside and promise. But you’re seeing in these playoffs how Caruso can be the difference in wins and losses at the highest level.
Isaiah Hartenstein spent time as a backup big for Houston, Denver, the Cavs and the Clippers before breaking out in New York. New York at least gets the pass of being unable to offer him more under the CBA.
The Thunder are the team that gets the most out of the talent other teams passed on. And with that talent, they’re three wins away from the title.
The lesson shouldn’t be that these other teams should have seen what Williams, Hartenstein, or Caruso could be. The lesson is that you want your team to be the one that creates the environment for those teams to succeed.
Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, Lu Dort, OKC has created an environment where they can get the most out of their roster, and that’s the kind of team every fan should want. Saying they’re the envy of the league shouldn’t just be about their defense, their record, or their youth. It’s the whole shebang.
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NBA news and rumors:
- ESPN’s Shams Charania and Jake Fischer of the Stein Line both reported over the weekend that the Pacers are expected to retain Myles Turner. League sources told The Whiteboard that the final details are expected to be between $30 and $35 million per season.
- There’s increasing reported speculation, including from Fischer, that the Pistons will pursue Wolves stretch big Naz Reid. If the Pistons add a true stretch five, where does that leave Jalen Duren? It also brings up questions about retaining Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr.
- The Knicks will ask the Mavericks for permission to speak with Jason Kidd about their coaching vacancy, according to multiple reports.
5 NBA Finals stats you should know
1. The Pacers are winning Tyrese Haliburton’s minutes. Despite Haliburton’s relatively pedestrian box score numbers, don’t be fooled. They’re a +5 in net rating with Haliburton on the floor and -34.9 per 100 possessions with him off.
2. The Pacers’ bench is getting annihilated defensively without their starters, especially when TJ McConnell and Benedict Mathurin are on the floor. Rick Carlisle may have to stagger his starters more in Game 3.
3. The Thunder are only +1.6 with SGA, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams on the floor through two games. It’s their depth that’s really given them the lead for the majority of this series.
4. Above the break 3s are maybe the most high-leverage shots in the modern NBA, given that they are lower in expected efficiency than corner 3s and higher in difficulty. Aaron Wiggins and Alex Caruso are a combined 8-of-11 on above-the-break 3s through two games.
5. Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner are a combined 5-of-12 in the paint outside the restricted area in this series. Those are high percentage look OKC is forcing misses on.