The Oklahoma City Thunder are the best team in the West this season and are among the favorites to make the Western Conference Finals. The young core has defied plenty of expectations and is playing incredibly mature basketball that betrays their age.
However, not everyone is happy that the Thunder are the top seed of the Western Conference. Known LeBron James supporter Shannon Sharpe even went as far as to say that Thunder is the weakest one-seed the league has seen in recent years.
Of course, the team shouldn’t care about whatever the media is saying about them since they don’t have an idea of what’s really happening inside the locker room. However, it’s clear to everyone that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander isn’t the only person who should step up in the playoffs to make an impact in this year’s playoffs.
The Oklahoma City Thunder bench is important in winning the NBA championship
Nathan Aker of Inside the Thunder talked about the Thunder’s postseason chances. He especially pointed out the importance of the reserves in helping the team make the finals in a very competitive Western Conference.
He mentioned that while the starting roster will do most of the heavy lifting during clutch situations, the rest of the roster must step up to the plate.
He emphasized the importance of Cason Wallace in the roster, who has become the de facto sixth man with his all-around performance throughout the season as he had a decent stat line of 6.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in almost 21 minutes a game.
Isaiah Joe is also a key contributor who almost interchanged minutes with Wallace. In the 18.5 minutes alloted to him per game, he’s contributing 8.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists. Both Joe and Wallace will be important for the Thunder’s three game as they are shooting at 41.6% and 41.9% from deep, respectively.
Aker made a special mention of Hayward, who solidified his position in the rotation after the Thunder traded for him from the Charlotte Hornets:
Next down the line has been Hayward, who’s slowly but surely established himself in the lineup and assimilated rather seamlessly despite some early bumps, as he’s seen 17.2 minutes a night in his 26 games suited up as a Thunder, and also received three starts in that short span.
Other players deemed important for the Thunder’s postseason success include Aaron Wiggins, Kenrich Williams, and Jaylin Williams. If all of them continue churning out solid performances off the bench the same way they did in the regular season, it’s not hard to imagine the Thunder making their second NBA Finals in the 21st century.
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