The Oklahoma City Thunder are the best team in the NBA. But with the way the Play-In Tourament seeding played out, they just got handed a minor headache in the first round of the playoffs. The Thunder will be heavily favored over whatever team they play, but with the LA Clippers and Golden State Warriors now in the 9-10 game, the Thunder will at least have a minor headache.
Had the Portland Trail Blazers remained in the 9-10 game, there would be a better chance at them potentially playing the Thunder in Round 1, because if they win the 7-8 game, they get the No. 7 seed and will take on the San Antonio Spurs. Instead, there is a chance that the Thunder will have to play Kawhi Leonard or Stephen Curry in Round 1.
And that’s kind of annoying.
The Thunder having to take on Kawhi Leonard or Stephen Curry in Round 1 would be annoying
Again, it doesn’t really matter who the Thunder play in the first round of the playoffs. They could play the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, or Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round, and they would still be favored.
But if you’re the Thunder, obviously, you would like to have the easiest possible path, especially when it comes to the first round. It’s a great chance to settle into playoff basketball.
Last year, they got the Grizzlies in Round 1. It only took the Thunder four games to dispatch the Grizzlies, but this year’s first-round playoff opponent may be tougher to take down.
Heading into the final week of the season, seeds 8-10 were up for grabs, and the Warriors, Clippers, and Trail Blazers were all sloshing around in those three seeds.
In an ideal world, the Thunder would love to see the Blazers in Round 1, because that, on paper, seems like the easiest matchup, even though they did spoil OKC’s early-season win streak. The Warriors would probably be the second-easiest matchup, though having to deal with Curry would be irritating.
Then, there are the Clippers. The Clippers, who, despite a rough start to the year, have been one of the hottest teams in basketball for the last few months.
Leonard is a perennial playoff riser. In fact, he may be one of the best playoff performers in the history of basketball. And though the Clippers are nowhere near the Thunder in terms of overall talent, Leonard is a nuisance.
OKC will almost certainly get the job done against the Clippers. But having to guard Leonard could make life a bit harder than the Thunder may have wanted, should the Clippers be their matchup.
Looking at all of the potential playoff opponents OKC could have potentially gotten in Round 1, the Clippers and Warriors (with two star players) are, if nothing else, a bit annoying.
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