NBA Season/Playoffs 2025-26

[Phantom255x]

Sixers really just gifted McCain to the Thunder. Thunder players are going down but McCain is giving them awesome contributions in the postseason so far, like a well-oiled machine

[Goldstar88]

I really don?t understand why Wemby doesn?t ever post up. He?s always getting the ball so far away from the basket. Just needs to get the ball in the paint and elevate. No one can stop that.

[Phantom255x]

Look we can debate the refs, etc. but OKC on the road tonight is looking like the typical OKC. Contributions all around, SGA doing well, tough defense and buckets on both ends and maintaining a lead with composure. That's also the added advantage of being in these moments more consistently than the Spurs to date with Wemby and their crew.

[Who]

Devin Vassell has outplayed each of the Spurs star guards - Fox, Castle D Harper.

[Larry for 3]

Look we can debate the refs, etc. but OKC on the road tonight is looking like the typical OKC. Contributions all around, SGA doing well, tough defense and buckets on both ends and maintaining a lead with composure. That's also the added advantage of being in these moments more consistently than the Spurs to date with Wemby and their crew.

They?re just a deeper team. They don?t need J DUB or even Mitchell to win a title. The McCain pick up was sneaky huge, he?s been big. Epically with the injuries

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Look we can debate the refs, etc. but OKC on the road tonight is looking like the typical OKC. Contributions all around, SGA doing well, tough defense and buckets on both ends and maintaining a lead with composure. That's also the added advantage of being in these moments more consistently than the Spurs to date with Wemby and their crew.

They?re just a deeper team. They don?t need J DUB or even Mitchell to win a title. The McCain pick up was sneaky huge, he?s been big. Epically with the injuries

There is something to be said about your confidence level when your allowed to be as physical as you want on defense, and you get a lot of touch fouls called for you on offense.

[SparzWizard]

I hope the Spurs did not win their only game of this series because OKC is just too deep.

[Who]

I thought the 2 main stories from the game were:

OKC's Trio Off The Bench

McCain = 24pts 4reb
Jaylin Williams = 18pts 5reb 2stl
Caruso = 15pts 3reb 2stl

57 points from those 3 bench players. A huge surprise and a huge contribution.

OKC's starters outside of SGA struggled. Ajay Mitchell continued to play badly. Dort was scoreless. Hartenstein had 5pts. Chet had 14pts 3reb. Not enough help for SGA.

But that bench trio came through and delivered. They gave SGA (26pts 12ast) the help he needed to get the W.

Spurs Guards Played Badly

D Fox = 15pts 6ast 7reb 1stl
Castle = 14pts 7ast 5reb 2b1s
D Harper = 6pts 2ast 3reb

Castle was 1-8 FGA but 11-14 FTA. That one made shot was a three pointer. Fox was 7-14 FGA but that included 5 layups. He did not look a threat to score at all unless he got a layup. Fox hit one three pointer and FT line jumper. Dylan Harper hit one three pointer and had a putback. Between the three of them, they made only 4 jump-shots all game. 83 minutes combined 4 jump-shots. One jump-shot every 20 minutes of playing time.

They had 35pts combined. OKC's 3 guys off the bench had 57pts.

I didn't think the Spurs guards played badly because of OKC. I thought they just played badly. Unforced. Couldn't throw it in the ocean tonight. Couldn't make shots. I think this loss is more to do with them not showing up than OKC shutting them down.

[Moranis]

This series is looking how I thought it would the last 2.  Not blow outs, but clear who the better team is.  The layoff affected OKC in game 1, but they were the better team in that one for the 2nd half until OT whene they ran out of gas.  OKC is just better than the Spurs.  I'm guessing Wemby has another monster game in him and the Spurs may pick up 1 more, but I can't see them winning this series at this point. 

[No Nickname]

The Thunder's offseason is going to be so fascinating.  As you all say, they are so deep, and they have so many draft picks in the future.

How are they going to retain their own guys, while owning all of these draft picks? 

Even with their trade of a 1st for McCain this year they still have EIGHT first round picks in the next four drafts:

2026 - 2 1sts
2027 - 3 1sts
2028 - 1 1st
2029 - 2 1sts

If they roll through the rest of these playoffs, their team is so young they really don't need anyone.

I'd trade both firsts for future 1st round picks (like Atlanta/NOLA did last year).  Just keep pushing those down the road. 

Shai is still only 27 years old.  They could theoretically trade picks for future picks until he hits 30.  Imagine if they had four 1sts in 2029.  Then four firsts in 2030.

They could package and move up into the top-five zone for back-to-back years (theoretically).  Or package four picks and a player for a major trade for a free agent stud.

Very, very fascinating.

[Goldstar88]

Castle is absolutely killing the Spurs with the turnovers and poor shooting. He is 36% from the field and 18% from 3pt in this series. Averaging 7 TO a game.

[Who]

Castle is absolutely killing the Spurs with the turnovers and poor shooting. He is 36% from the field and 18% from 3pt in this series. Averaging 7 TO a game.

20 in the first 2 games
1 turnover in Gm 3

They had some stat on Castle's turnovers during the regular season on games with and without D Fox. It was a massive difference. Something like 2 per game wih Fox (maybe under 2) and around 5 a game without Fox.