Oklahoma City Thunder: 3 reasons they’re still legitimate contenders
By Nick Crain
3. Playoff experience
The Oklahoma City Thunder have a lot of playoff experience relative to some of the other teams they could match up against. Russell Westbrook leads the team in playoff games played with 93, followed by Paul George with 71, Steven Adams and Patrick Patterson with 47, and Dennis Schroder with 34.
Not only do the Thunder have many players with playoff experience when it comes to games, but they also have experience making deep runs. Russell Westbrook has appeared in the NBA Finals, while Dennis Schroder, Paul George, Steven Adams and Patrick Patterson have all appeared in the conference finals.
Over the years, many teams that have great regular seasons with young, inexperienced players struggle in the playoffs. With OKC having this advantage, there is no counting this team out regardless of who it plays. Every possession is important in the playoffs, and the Thunder will know exactly how to come out and play with a sense of urgency.