On top of going 6-0 for the first time since relocating to the southwest back in 2008, the OKC Thunder became the first team in NBA history to win each of their first six games by at least 12 points. Can they extend the streak against an Orlando Magic squad that lacks Paolo Banchero and potentially Wendell Carter Jr. too?
In order for them to do so, there are three key matchups that will play major roles in them trying to accomplish such a goal.
3 Key matchups for Magic vs Thunder
1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs Magic’s guards
The Thunder’s offense still runs through Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and he faces a tough matchup here on Monday night. Jalen Suggs and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope form one of the top guard tandems across the NBA in terms of perimeter defense. Orlando has Anthony Black coming off the bench as well, so they will be able to throw disruptive defenders at SGA all game.
According to Cleaning the Glass, OKC is scoring a terrible 108.2 points per 100 possessions this season when their superstar rests. If they don’t get productive minutes from him, the offense could be extremely ugly here.
2. Jalen Suggs vs Thunder’s guards
In Orlando’s first game after Paolo Banchero’s oblique injury, Jalen Suggs picked up the offensive slack by scoring 28 points and dishing out seven assists. The Magic desperately need this level of production from the former lottery pick in order to field a somewhat competent offense until their All-Star returns.
Lu Dort, Alex Caruso, and Cason Wallace will all likely make this a tad difficult for them to accomplish, however.
Due to their brilliance, the Thunder are holding pick-and-roll ball handlers to a measly 0.44 points per possession. For context, the Mavericks currently check in with the second-best mark at 0.7 points per possession.
It also doesn’t hurt to have Chet Holmgren erasing mistakes around the basket for this hyper-elite Thunder defense.
Should Oklahoma City completely stifle Suggs’ scoring and playmaking, it’s difficult to envision the Magic keeping pace barring an uncharacteristically great 3-point shooting night.
3. Chet Holmgren’s interior defense
Franz Wagner relies on slashing to make a huge impact, and the Magic are shooting just 32.3 percent on triples. In other words, Orlando needs to find success in the paint.
Chet Holmgren has the chance to be a true game-wrecker here. He leads the league in blocks per game and ranks second in contested shots per game. Another outstanding interior defensive performance from the budding star big would likely doom Orlando’s offense.
Wendell Carter Jr.’s outside shooting could occasionally pull Holmgren away from the hoop, though he’s in the midst of a slump and has cashed home on just 2-for-14 from deep through five games. Plus, he might miss the contest with a foot injury anyway, so the big may be a nonfactor anyway.
Overall, look for Holmgren to be the X-factor for the Thunder in this matchup.