Stiles Points: Los Angeles Lakers Present Bad Matchup For OKC Thunder: The Oklahoma City Thunder have had a terrific season, but when it comes to the playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers are a terrible opponent for the Thunder to face.
The postseason is all about matchups, and they are the name of the game. Regardless of whether you are speaking in the macro or micro level, the players that you draw in the first round have a significant impact on the season that you are having.
Some opponents are a perfect fit for your play style, while others are so difficult to play against that they make it appear as though you have been dressed in the dark. The Oklahoma City Thunder discovered a tough opponent for themselves on Monday.
After losing the season series against the Lakers by a score of three games to one, the Thunder should be hoping to escape the Purple and Gold in the middle of April. Despite the fact that the LaLa Land Legends have a poor overall record (34-29) and are competing for play-in positions, they continue to be a significant danger to Oklahoma City.
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Stiles Points: Los Angeles Lakers Present Bad Matchup For OKC Thunder
In addition to having LeBron James, who is widely considered to be the finest player in the history of the sport, the general style of play that the Lakers employ is a factor that works against the Thunder’s strength.
The size of Los Angeles is sufficient to make the mid-range waters more complicated, which restricts Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s ability to make money and forces him to play in front of a small crowd. When the Purple and Gold lock in, which you have to think they will do in the postseason, they will be able to fly around and close out on shooters with great force because of their size, which will take away part of the edge that OKC creates in terms of creating ball movement.
Then, with one of the best big men we have seen in the modern game in Anthony Davis, he boasts elite rim protection, the ability to switch on the perimeter as needed, and is practically impossible to push him out of the paint when the Lakers feed him the ball.
Monday’s game against the Thunder resulted in Davis recording 24 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, a steal, and three blocks, and there is not much that can be adjusted to due to his performance. One of the few players who, when he is performing at his best, is able to obtain exactly what he wants, the Kentucky native is one of those athletes.
- Given that James is the all-time leading scorer in the league, it goes without saying how much damage he is capable of causing.
- The players that play a role in their team will be the true swing against Los Angeles. The Purple and Gold shot 51 percent from the field and 47 percent from beyond the three-point line on Monday, but they only shot 72 percent from the charity stripe.
- Taurean Prince contributed 14 points off the bench, D’Angelo Russell scored 26 points, including five triples, Austin Reaves scored 16 points on four-of-five shooting from beyond the arc, and D’Angelo Russell scored 26 points.
- In a series consisting of seven games, how frequently will the Lakers role players be able to replicate that individual performance? Who can say for sure, but the fact that the Lakers pose a danger is enough to cause Oklahoma City to feel some concern.
- This does not mean that the Thunder are incapable of defeating the Lakers; in fact, there is not a single Western Conference matchup in which Oklahoma City will enter it as a significant underdog.
- However, the Thunder’s size and ability to defend in space does make things difficult for the basketball team from Bricktown.
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