The youngest team in the NBA, the Oklahoma City Thunder, just aced their first test.
With a 117-115 victory, the No. 1 seed Thunder swept the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday, rolling through the first round of the NBA Playoffs with relative ease.
This Thunder team is well-balanced and can win in different ways. Oklahoma City blew out Memphis in Game 1, clamped down on defense in Game 3 to erase a 29-point deficit and battled through a tighter contest in the decisive Game 4 that saw 15 lead changes.
While Most Valuable Player finalist Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was solid through the first three games, his efficiency in the closeout game shot up; after struggling from 3 in the first three games of the series — combining to go 6-of-24 — he attempted just four shots from beyond the arc and focused on his silky mid-range jumper and attacking the paint. Gilgeous-Alexander went 13-of-24 from the floor and hit 11-of-13 free throw attempts to end with 38 points.
Jalen Williams, a 24-year-old first-time All-Star, has emerged as a star. Chet Holmgren has refined his shooting motion. Alex Caruso was a solid offseason acquisition that bolstered OKC’s defense and the Thunder have all the makings of a championship team — with one exception.
Oklahoma City must show that, despite its relative inexperience, it’s poised for the grind of a deep playoff run. The Thunder were also the Western Conference No. 1 seed last season, but they dropped out of the conference semis when they couldn’t solve Luka Dončić, Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks.
This Oklahoma City team, though, has the ingredients to press deep into the postseason.
They defend extremely well — both along the perimeter with the length Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams, Caruso and Luguentz Dort, and inside with the height Holmgren and backup Isaiah Hartenstein bring.
Despite their struggles from 3 in the first round, the Thunder can ignite from beyond the arc. But they compromise defenses with their measured attacks, often forcing players into foul trouble and getting easy points on the line; the Thunder ranked sixth in the NBA in free throw attempts per game (21.3).
The Thunder posted an absurd net rating of 12.7 this season, which was 3.3 points more than the second-place Celtics.
As long as Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder stay healthy, they should remain the favorites to emerge out West.
The tougher tests begin now.
The Thunder will await the conclusion of the tight series between the No. 4 Denver Nuggets and No. 5 Los Angeles Clippers — both tough outs. Oklahoma City split its four regular season games this year against the Nuggets and swept all four against the Clippers.
If there was one sign Saturday evening that showed the Thunder could be poised to break through, it was when Gilgeous-Alexander had the ball in his hands, late, with Oklahoma City carrying a three-point lead.
Gilgeous-Alexander bled as much clock before threading his way to the top of the key. He took a step-back jumper that would give the Thunder a five-point lead and seal the series. The ball rattled through the rim.
Gilgeous-Alexander barely celebrated. He walked back to the bench and held up two fingers — a sign that what was next was the second round.