The OKC Thunder still have two more games to go if they want to come back against the Utah Jazz. What would winning this first round series mean for OKC and its season?
The Oklahoma City Thunder won in Game 5 at home after an epic comeback from 25 points down, extending their season for at least one more game. Now the OKC Thunder have to go out on the road and do it again on Friday to force a Game 7.
According to star Utah Jazz rookie Donovan Mitchell, the Thunder are done after Game 6. He was seen saying as much to Thunder fans after Game 5, telling them he would see them next year.
The Thunder have not been out of the first round since 2016, but what would getting out of the first round this year mean for OKC this year?
The Thunder have a Big 3 that consists of Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Carmelo Anthony, and going up against a seemingly weaker team in the Jazz and losing the series could hurt their pride and their reputations.
Those three players have been some of the top-tier players in the league for a long time. Losing the series may indicate that the team is not as good as they thought it was.
The Thunder have a lot of young players also. Guys like Jerami Grant and Alex Abrines have another year of playoff experience under their belts, but are they enough? Going down the stretch, will they be players that will be able to help the Thunder?
Those players will have an even greater chance to improve if they go into the next round. The playoffs help young players gain experience fast.
If the Thunder lose this series and look back at the end of this season, the lack of offense, lack of depth and the inability to maintain a consistent, focused effort for 48 minutes will stand out as the reasons why the season wasn’t as good as it should’ve been.
On the other hand, while they lost some head-scratchers during the season, they will be able to say that they won some tough games during the season that show that if this team has another year together, along with adding some pieces that address some areas of need, next year could be better.
More playoff games means Paul George’s season with the OKC Thunder goes on that much longer. The Thunder should want George to have a long playoff to help him see that OKC is the place to be as he approaches unrestricted free agency this summer.
With two wins this year against the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets, the two best teams in the league, the Thunder can tell Paul George they can build something in OKC that will be able to compete with anyone.
If the Thunder can add a sixth man to play with George in the second unit when Melo and Westbrook sit down, that could help them provide a consistent offensive effort.
Clearing up the cap space and signing a player like Will Barton, who is an unrestricted free agent, would help their offense greatly. It would be extremely hard to do, but if the Thunder did so and retained George, it could change the complexion of next season.
Barton turned down a four-year $42 million deal after his agent told him to bet on himself. OKC may be the better opportunity that he desires.
Trading for a player like Lou Williams or Jamal Crawford would be another route to go. The core of the Thunder’s roster is a win-now group. Williams at 30 and Crawford at 37 will be older options, but they are veterans that know what to do with the ball in iso situations.
Williams has just signed a three-year contract extension with the Los Angeles Clippers. If the Thunder could throw in young players like Grant, Abrines or Dakari Johnson, the Clippers, who are in rebuilding mode, would have to think hard about it.
Winning this series also means that Carmelo Anthony will get to go deeper into the playoffs. The Thunder will want Melo to feel that he is in an environment where he can win and win consistently. Anthony could leave in 2019.
For the Thunder as an organization, they need to go back to the winning culture that was there when Kevin Durant was there.
With Durant, the Thunder were consistently in the Western Conference Finals and were one of the best teams in league. Durant left because he felt the best chance to win a ring was in Golden State. If the Thunder win this series and go farther in the playoffs, they can prove to the world and themselves that you can still win in OKC.
The Thunder find themselves in a familiar position: needing to prove they’re still good without Kevin Durant and build a new culture with the players they have now.
If the Thunder can win this series, their next matchup will be against the Houston Rockets. It would be one of the best matchups of the year because of the Russell Westbrook and James Harden connection.
With the playoff intensity pumping through Westbrook and Harden’s veins it could make for an epic series. What the Thunder will care about in the series will be proving to everyone that they can win and also to themselves that this team can win down the road.
Next: Full two-round 2018 NBA Mock Draft
It’s safe to say that if the Thunder lose this first round series, they will have underachieved this season. With three superstar players, the Thunder should be able to go deeper into the playoffs. All eyes will be on Game 6.