Worst first-round opponent for each NBA Western Conference playoff team
Oklahoma City Thunder: LA Clippers
When teams like the fractured Jazz or a relatively inexperienced one like Denver are on the table as potential first-round opponents, the Oklahoma City Thunder would be crazy to welcome a matchup against the LA Clippers.
OKC went 1-2 against the Clippers this season, their lone victory coming with Kawhi Leonard on the sidelines. Like most, they struggled at the offensive end, generating only 100.0 points per game while shooting 42.7 percent from the field and 27.3 from distance.
LA has a counter to everything that has helped the Thunder wildly exceed expectations this season. A premier point guard in Chris Paul? Try operating with Patrick Beverley in your grill. Steven Adams battling against Ivica Zubac and Montrezl Harrell should look more like a wrestling match than a basketball game.
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A three-guard lineup featuring Paul, Dennis Schroeder and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been a surprising success for OKC, a plus-26.5 in over 400 minutes. It’s unclear whether Kawhi or PG can chase around any of those three full time, but they’re likely to take on the challenge when the situation desperately calls for it.
If not, expect one or both to slow down Danilo Gallinari and the 19.2 points per game that rank second on the team along with a 40.9 percentage on triples.
The Thunder have put in a lot of work to leapfrog several teams to sit fifth in the Western Conference. Tied record-wise with Houston and 1.5 games in front of Dallas, a mini-slump could be all it takes to fall into a matchup that takes away any shot at the conference semis.