The Oklahoma City Thunder altered their starting five for the first time this season - when healthy - pushing Josh Giddey to the bench, snapping a 218-game starting streak. This got Oklahoma City started off on the right foot, before eventually falling behind by as many as 18. This was a calculated, and assuredly uncomfortable, decision the OKC Thunder had to make to sit their No. 6 pick from the 2021 NBA Draft for the first time in this career. Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault explained the move.
Tim Hardaway Jr. was signed by the Mavericks to be a 2nd or 3rd scorer. These playoffs are exposing that flaw.
Here are five reasons why the Thunder finds itself on the brink of elimination following a Game 5 loss to the Mavericks on Wednesday.
No | Player | P |
---|---|---|
15 | C | |
13 | SF | |
5 | SG | |
14 | SG | |
3 | SG | |
2 | SG | |
33 | SF | |
7 | PF | |
11 | SG | |
18 | SF | |
50 | C | |
30 | C | |
22 | SG | |
12 | SG | |
21 | SG | |
8 | SG | |
6 | PF | |
34 | PF |