The Warriors know what they’re up against Wednesday night when they face Oklahoma City, which is bossing the NBA this season. The Thunder have the best record, the best defense, the best net rating and the leading candidate for Most Valuable Player.
The best approach to beating the Thunder (37-8) begins with containing point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the MVP candidate and the best game maestro in the league.
Golden State (23-23) will ask Andrew Wiggins to be its first line of defense – and hope it doesn’t come at the cost of Wiggins’ offense. The Warriors are going to need both.
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Though it’s not accurate to describe Gilgeous-Alexander as a “shooter,” he leads the league in scoring (32.1 points per game). He’s shooting 52.8 percent from the field, including 35.1 percent from distance. Insofar as he is second in the NBA in free-throw attempts (8.3 per game) and first in makes (7.5), the priority is to keep him off the line.
The problem the Warriors face is that Gilgeous-Alexander uses smarts and angles when wading into the paint to draw contact. Can Wiggins defend without fouling? In OKC’s last loss to the Dallas Mavericks last Thursday, Gilgeous-Alexander shot only six free throws. He shot only four in a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers three weeks ago.
Golden State coach Steve Kerr generally believes in battling a star ballhandler with a rotating crew of defenders. Gary Payton II will get a few turns; he might even start. Moses Moody and Lindy Waters III also could be called.
Though SGA is the undisputed star, the Thunder has a deep group of two-way wings – with Jalen Williams and Luguentz Dort leading the way – that have a clear understanding of the team’s defensive principles and offensive strategies. No team is better at turning defense into offense, as OKC leads the NBA in points off turnovers while allowing the fewest points off their giveaways. They simply do not beat themselves.
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The Thunder’s most exploitable weakness is rebounding, which ranks 23rd in the league. Only the wretched Washington Wizards allow more second-chance points than the Thunder. Dallas forward PJ Washington savaged OKC for 22 points and 19 rebounds to anchor the Mavericks’ win last week.
Translation: Attacking the offensive glass is essential for the Warriors – who rank third in overall rebounding and fourth in offensive rebounding – to give themselves a reasonable chance at pulling off the upset. Limiting Gilgeous-Alexander is but the first step.