The Oklahoma City Thunder were supposed to stink this season. They were expected to compete for a top-five pick. Instead, they are 40-24 as the NBA prepares to reopen in Disney World.
Yes, the Thunder, who traded Russell Westbrook and Paul George last summer, are smack dab in the middle of the Western Conference playoff picture. It just goes to show that Chris Paul does, in fact, still have something left in the tank.
But is Oklahoma City truly for real?
Here are the three biggest questions the Thunder face heading to Orlando.
3. Can they make enough 3-pointers?
The Thunder rank 18th in the league in 3-point percentage and 28th in makes, so they are not exactly one of the better outside shooting teams in the NBA.
Not much has changed from previous years in that regard, as Oklahoma City has lacked 3-point marksmanship for quite some time now.
Yes, Danilo Gallinari is shooting over 40 percent from deep, but overall, OKC doesn't have a whole lot of long-range shooters to spread the floor.
This is especially true in the frontcourt, where the Thunder employ Steven Adams and Nerlens Noel as their two centers. Neither player can step out and hit a triple.
We have seen it in the playoffs plenty of times: if you can't consistently make 3s, you are going to have a difficult time advancing.
2. Do they have a true No. 1 option?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the Thunder's leading scorer this year, averaging 19.3 points per game. No disrespect to Alexander, who is incredibly talented and has a bright future ahead of him, but that isn't going to cut it against the best of the best.
I'm not even sure Oklahoma City has a true No. 1 option at the moment.
Paul has never been that type of guy, and Gallinari is more of a high-end No. 3 on a contending team than a top gun. Then there is Dennis Schroder, who is a terrific microwave scorer off the bench, but he is more Jamal Crawford than he is a No. 1.
When the games get tight in the postseason, OKC is going to have to find someone who can regularly get buckets, particularly in fourth quarters.
Paul will probably have to take on that role, and he has been a clutch assassin this season, but the playoffs are a different animal.
1. Can Chris Paul stay healthy?
This is Paul's healthiest season in quite some time. He has played 63 games and has not had any significant injuries, and back in March when the league was still active, he was looking pretty damn good.
But can the Thunder depend on him staying healthy for the playoffs?
Paul has dealt with injuries in three of his last five postseason appearances. What's more, he has not played 70 games in a single season since the 2015-16 campaign.
If CP3 goes down, Oklahoma City is cooked. It's that simple. The Thunder rely heavily on his leadership and ability to run the offense, and if he is compromised in any way, they won't have any shot of winning a playoff series.
Paul is currently healthy, so this may be moot right now, but when you take his injury history into account, you can see why it is a relevant talking point.
Follow Us
Subscribe