Closing time: OKC Thunder need rest in anticipation of playoff push

The OKC Thunder rest up for what should be an exciting conclusion to an already stellar season with home-court advantage on the mind.

Now that the All-Star festivities have come to an end and the dust from the trade deadline has settled, things are about to get real for the OKC Thunder. From contenders working to secure home-court advantage, to the tank wars at the bottom and everything in between, the playoff race will begin to take shape this week.

Prior to the season beginning, there were mixed feelings about the OKC Thunder. There seemed to be just as many fans and analysts supporting the Thunder as there were thinking they would miss the playoffs altogether.

Heading into the All-Star break, the @okcthunder are 37-20. Which #ThunderUp players have done the most (or least) with their minutes during the 2018-19 season? pic.twitter.com/kUHYQLCGwm
— NBA Math (@NBA_Math) February 15, 2019

Regardless of which end of the spectrum you were on, however, I don’t think anyone could have predicted the breakout season Paul George has been having. And his resurgence to the top has been contagious, as the Thunder sits in third place in the West at the All-Star break. But with the final third of the season on the horizon, preparation for the playoffs may not be as straight forward as it appears.

As it stands, Oklahoma City is four games back from the first-place Warriors, two games behind Denver and eight games in front of the current eighth-place Clippers. Maintaining that spot or even sliding up is the obvious main priority, but going into the playoffs rested and healthy would be a close second.

George has been doing everything for the Thunder in the first half of the season, so finding a way to get him to rest down the stretch would be nice. Same goes for the rest of the starting five, as everyone except for Terrance Ferguson averages over 30 minutes a game. Getting any of the starters an occasional day off or limiting minutes will be critical.

Accomplishing that goal will be easier said than done now that Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Alex Abrines are no longer options off the bench. But their departures did open the way for Markieff Morris to join the team and two-way player Deonte Burton to possibly finish out the season with the Thunder. And if Andre Roberson comes back this season, the rotation could be reset again.

Essentially, the Thunder will need to rely on depth down the stretch to continue winning. But every minute the starters play adds to their fatigue in a brutally long season, not to mention, risk injury.

Should the OKC Thunder be able to put teams away early in the first half of games and win enough to secure their playoff spots, decisions regarding playing time will come easier.

Unfortunately, OKC isn’t in a great position noted as having the most difficult final schedule on Tankathon. That said, team rankings place them 17th using different caveats. Either way, it won’t be a cake walk but there should be opportunities regardless. And, in truth, the Thunder tends to raise their level of play versus top clubs, so better opponents might be a blessing in disguise.

ICYMI Markieff Morris is expected to join Thunder, Stephen Dolan dives into the how's and if's of his fit with OKC (via @SteveThunderfan) #ThunderUp https://t.co/bHg8A3wlwU
— Thunderous Intentions (@thunderousint) February 16, 2019

With all of these questions still unanswered heading into the stretch run of the season, it’s important to keep in mind we’re experiencing good problems. Working to earn the right to rest players is a first-world problem compared to teams that are tanking or even on the playoff bubble.