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The Oklahoma Thunder had a full week of rest after thrashing the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs. It was a fairly easy series for the Thunder as there were two blowouts in the four games, but that will not be the case going up against the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 Western Conference Semifinals. The Mavericks series took a bit longer than the Thunder, but they also had a convincing victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Thunder have shown no signs of slowing down. And the playoff inexperience of this unit, which is always brought up by the pundits, has not been exposed. The camaraderie and defensive versatility of the Thunder are two of the main factors that will propel them to the next round. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is likely going to finish second in the MVP voting, while Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams are becoming legitimate stars in their own right.
OKC has the edge in home court and rest, and with that, here are a couple of bold Thunder predictions to add spice to the series.
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The Thunder defense will limit Mavericks to less than 100 for at least three games
If OKC has any realistic chance of sending Dallas home, their foundation must be excelling and flourishing on the defensive side of the floor. The Mavericks have two superb scorers in Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, but their role players have limitations on the offensive end. Through that weakness, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault will formulate a plethora of schemes that will expose the deficiencies of the Mavericks’ ancillary pieces.
The switchability and versatility of the Thunder will be heavily emphasized in this series because the Mavericks run a slew of pick-and-roll sets every night. Having Holmgren as a roamer will be fantastic in this battle because he can help off the drives of Doncic and Irving and also prevent the constant lobs to Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II. Limiting Dallas to under 100 points does not guarantee a win, but it bolsters the probability for an OKC triumph.
OKC’s points in the paint will have a huge discrepancy almost every game
The unselfishness and willingness to share the sugar of the Thunder must be magnified in this series. There are numerous individuals on the Mavericks who will have a difficult time thriving on the defensive side if OKC forces them to go on rotation for a ton of possessions. For instance, their bigs will be forced to switch on Gilgeous-Alexander or Williams for a myriad of their schemes, and it will be insurmountable for them to complete a stop.
In this scenario, the rim will be wide open for the extremely talented driving ability of their guards. Moreover, the Thunder have a counter for the blitz actions on Gilgeous-Alexander as they like putting Williams on the foul line and creating plays off that area.
The Thunder are not the best three-point shooting team, but they are the most efficient, so watch them pound the paint in this ferocious battle.
At least two role players will have excellent shooting nights
Since the Mavericks are more than capable of containing big-time scores like Paul George and James Harden, the Thunder will manufacture schemes to unlock their supporting cast.
As previously mentioned, the three-point shooting efficiency of the Thunder is the best in the association, so that asset will be heavily utilized in this series. Even if the Thunder will attempt less than the Mavericks from long distance, the efficiency from their role players will turn the tide for a couple of games.
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