It's an embarrasment of riches for the Oklahoma City Thunder. On Sunday, in their first playoff win of (potentially) 16, the Thunder had no problem at all with the Phoenix Suns, dispatching them by 35 points in the first game of a likely short series.
There weren't any big shocks; SGA and Jalen Williams led the charge on offense, Chet Holmgren was a game-wrecker on defense, and everybody chipped in a little bit, resulting in a full team win. Everyone (literally) got some minutes, and perhaps the only notable rotation decision was Jared McCain getting just 8 minutes of playing time, with a majority of that coming in garbage time.
This isn't a bad thing — it might not even be a thing, as we know Mark Daigneault loves to experiment with different groups on a game-by-game basis, and Game 1 of round one is the perfect time to try everything out. Still, it's at least worth noting that the Thunder's trade deadline acquisition wasn't needed, and might be needed for a while.
If anything, this should scare opponents even more because the Thunder didn't actually shoot the 3-pointer very well. To struggle from outside, not use potentially your best shooter, and still win by 35... Goodness.
Thunder actually didn't shoot well from outside
It's tough to nitpick a 35-point win in the playoffs, and I won't do that. But the Thunder did shoot just 30% from 3-point range, and if they keep shooting around that clip for the next few games, maybe McCain (who is the second-best 3-point shooter by percentage among rotation players on this team) gets a little more burn.
It won't be necessary against the Suns, as they simply don't have the firepower to keep up with the Thunder, but a second-round matchup with a higher-level team like the Lakers may require it. In the meantime, McCain appears to be a "break glass in case of emergency" player for the playoff Thunder
The Philadelphia 76ers obviously could have used McCain today in a game which they shot 4-23 from 3-point range. In OKC, he's more of a luxury... But a luxury that fans are still loving to have.
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