After winning 68 games during the regular season, the Oklahoma City Thunder are a popular pick to win the Western Conference.
It was a dominating season from start to finish for Oklahoma City. The Thunder now turn its sights to the NBA Playoffs.
The Bricktown ballers are still awaiting its first round matchup, which will be decided tonight as the Dallas Mavericks take on the Memphis Grizzlies for the right to the No. 8 seed.
This is the second ever playoff run for this core of Thunder players, but this past summer Oklahoma City went out to bolster its roster with the signing of seven-footer Isaiah Hartenstein and swinging a trade for defensive ace Alex Caruso.
Each of them come with their own experience. Hartenstein has logged 26 career playoff games. Caruso has 31 such tilts including an NBA Championship with the Los Angeles Lakers.
They join a squad that was ousted in the second round a year ago in six games to the Dallas Mavericks and hope to get the Thunder over the hump.
This week at practice, Mark Daigneault discussed these two veterans as the playoffs loom.
“Those guys have a mature approach. They understand the big picture. They understand how to prepare and how to keep themselves emotionally regulated through the ups and downs of a playoff run.”
Hartenstein’s presence will be not only in the Thunder’s front court depth compared to a year ago, but his physicality which is a requirement in the postseason.
On top of Caruso’s elite level defense, and the ability to defend every position on the floor, but since the All-Star Break the NBA Champion is shooting 40% from beyond the arc. His steady leadership will help a young core achieve its goals.
While the Thunder were the No. 1 seed last season, things are much different than they were. Not only did OKC lap the field in the standings this year, rather than earning the honor via a tiebreaker, but the Thunder’s rotation is vastly different.
Instead of the likes of Josh Giddey and Gordon Hayward, the Thunder will deploy Caruso and Hartenstein and it should lead to success.
