The OKC Thunder’s Issues with Spurs are Real

The Thunder sit at a measly 26-4, good for the best record in the NBA by several games, but have lost three out of five. Two of those losses came against San Antonio, the latter game being a blowout, offering up some rightful questions about OKC’s dominance.

On the national stage, San Antonio offered Oklahoma City one of its most competitive games of the season, winning by just two points in a two-way, down-to-the-wire performance that saw Victor Wembanyama play hero off the bench.

Last night’s contest went differently.

There were dozens of lead-changes, though the game never felt in-hand for the Thunder, as it has so many times this season. Via a 43-point fourth quarter, the Spurs eventually blew the doors off, coasting to a 20-point win and issuing OKC their largest loss of the season.

Cries of the Thunder having a Spurs “problem” are slightly dramatic, but San Antonio does present challenges for OKC from a strategic standpoint.

Firstly, they have the only player taller and more skilled than Chet Holmgren in the entire league. A player designed, with his near-eight-foot wingspan, to stifle teams that drive the ball and force them away from the paint. 

Additionally, San Antonio has loaded up on talented point-of-attack defenders, namely Stephon Castle, which has been a thorn in OKC’s side dating several postseasons. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the only Thunder player truly capable of getting a paint touch at the drop of a hat, which makes generating quality shots tough for long stretches.

Finally, San Antonio has confident, veteran shooters. OKC’s style is often to crash the paint and leave corner shooters open, though all of Castle, Devin Vassell, Harrison Barnes, Keldon Johnson and more have seen success through two games.

To make things all the more interesting, San Antonio is far from a finished product. The league's No. 2 pick in Dylan Harper is playing at a fraction of what he'll be when finally developed, and it stands to reason early-career players like Wembanyama, Castle and more will continue to get better.

Even still, Oklahoma City stands as the best and most versatile team in the league. While the losses have come in succession against the same team, the Thunder still boast the reigning MVP, malleable co-stars, the top defense in the league and the optionality to switch things up moving forward.

Dethroning the Thunder will take plenty more than a few December wins, though the Spurs have certainly started the conversation with their aggressive play.

Luckily, the Thunder will get their chance at revenge in tomorrow's Christmas Day slate. The Thunder and Spurs will face off, again on the national stage, at 1:30 p.m. CT in Oklahoma City, OK.

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