It was 2020, and the Oklahoma City Thunder were playing the Houston Rockets in the bubble. The happiest place on Earth was suddenly a lot happier in a very sad time, because it meant the return of NBA basketball back into our lives.
It was a bittersweet series for Thunder fans going into it. We were facing our beloved “king of the prairie”, the Brodie, Russell Westbrook in the playoffs for the first time since he was traded. The Thunder were run off the floor in the first two games of the series. But, in spite of the rough start they had, they were able to fight back and make the series 3-3 to force a game 7.
The Thunder, unfortunately, fell short in a WILD game 7. Crazy things happened throughout the game. Lu Dort, a then 29% 3 pointer shooter, knocked down 6/12 3’s. James Harden, former Thunder legend and known lazy defender, decided to play defense very late in the game to block the aforementioned Dort’s go ahead 3 point attempt. And Chris Paul, the player acquired in the Russ trade, missed a crucial and absolute bunny of a shot to put the Thunder up 1 with under 45 seconds remaining.
As he missed the shot; we knew, and he knew, that was likely the game.
“I had a floater right there in the middle of the lane that would have put us up 1.” Chris Paul lamented postgame. “I said (to the team) ‘Just keep it close, and we’ll finish it.‘ That’s on me.”
Chris Paul was something else that season, man. Went from a guy that many thought was washed and silenced every doubter. Took a team with a .2% (still insane) chance at the postseason and carried them to a 5 seed. Was 5th in MVP voting and led the NBA in points in the clutch.
Just the game prior, he hit two huge 3’s late to put the Thunder in position to win game 6.
The issue was, as he alluded to after Game 7, that it was “on me.” And it was. It was ALL on him. Whether it was scoring, creating, or distributing in the clutch, the Thunder relied solely on the play of Chris Paul.
And when it mattered most, he couldn’t deliver.
This isn’t an indictment on CP3. As I mentioned, he was AWESOME on and off the court in 2020. But it makes you think, what it would have looked like if he had someone he could also rely on in those moments. Someone, possibly, on both sides of the court. What might that have looked like?
Well, it might just look like the #1 team in the Western Conference, currently.
Today, we see a Thunder team with a similar dominance late in the game. In the clutch this season, this team boasts the highest field goal percentage (53.7%), the highest offensive rating (129.6), and the 2nd highest net rating (23.4).
And unlike that team in 2020 that lived and died off the performance of Chris Paul, it’s 3 different guys, affecting the game in a variety of ways.
(All the upcoming stats are for players who have taken at least 10 shots in the clutch)
((Shoutout Aaron Wiggins though, who is the first name that comes up if you search FG% with no filter))
First, you have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The head of the snake on offense, a perennial MVP candidate, one of the most unguardable players in the entire league, widely regarded as one of the clutchest shot makers in the world. He is currently 10th in clutch points (70), and field goal percentage (61%), which is phenomenal in and of itself.
However, much like most of the discourse around Shai this year, the offense doesn’t tell you the whole story. Shai is also tied for 2nd in the league in steals made in the clutch (5). He clearly made his defense a point of emphasis over the offseason, currently leading the league in steals by a wide margin. And that clearly reflects in late game situations as well!
Then you have Chet Holmgren. A rookie who has defied every expectation, has provided an unprecedented impact to a team that was in the play-in game just last year, is the lead for Rookie of the year, a borderline All-Star, and is already one of the best rim protectors in the game. He, to a lesser but still impressive degree, is 29th in clutch FG% (53.6%) which is still great for a 3rd option on offense, and he’s already had a couple clutch moments on offense this year.
But much like Shai, it’s the defense where his impact is mostly felt. Chet is currently 4th in blocks per game (2.6) and 3rd in total blocks (111), and that has trickled into the clutch as well. Chet currently leads the league in clutch time blocks with 9 (!!) , that’s a full 2 blocks more than the 2nd highest, which, interestingly enough, is his rookie nemesis Victor Wembanyama who has 7. Late in the game, teams look for the best shots they can get, and there is no better look than at the rim… unless Chet is there and then you should probably look elsewhere.
Finally, you have arguably the most impressive stat in this article. Jalen Williams, known as JDub, Dub, or around the holidays he is affectionately referred to as Santa (real ones know what’s up). Dub is in his sophomore season, but he has been playing like a seasoned vet as of late.
In the game against the Magic on January 13th, he scored a quick flurry of points at the beginning of the 4th quarter and started tapping his wrist declaring that it’s “Dub time”! That’s the time when Shai is off the court to start the 4th quarter (and to a lesser extent the 2nd quarter). For about 6 to 7 minutes, it’s alllllllll Jalen Williams. Buckets, creation, defense, what have you; this is his time to cook, this is truly Dub time. It’s helped us cut into leads, hold leads, and extend leads. Dub time.
But what he does at the end of the 4th, is even more eye popping.
As of this writing, Jalen Williams leads the league in clutch FG% with 72.7% on 22 shots. Just last night against the Blazers, he had 3/4 shots go down (all in about the exact same spot), including what ended up being the game winner, in almost the exact same spot Shai called game against the Blazers the year prior.
What’s important about these shots? The Thunder used Shai as a screener for Dub, and then had him flare to the top of the three point line as a decoy, leaving Dub 1 on 1 against the diminutive Anfernee Simons.
Chet also had 3 of his 6 blocks in the 4th quarter. And despite Dub hitting the shot, it was Shai who stole the inbound alley-oop attempt as the clock expired to finally ice the game.
In its early conception, the Thunder relied on Kevin Durant. In 2016-17, the Thunder relied on Russell Westbrook. In 2020, the Thunder relied on Chris Paul. And in the years prior to this one, the Thunder relied solely on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
For the first time in forever, it’s not a one man band in OKC. It’s not Shai against the world. The Thunder have carefully hand picked, home grown, and developed three players at different positions, who have a killer mentality, buy in on both sides of the ball, are unselfish, and aren’t afraid of the moment.
The Thunder are no longer a one man show in the clutch. They are a tag team.
And no matter what area of the game they are effecting, no matter which one of them are tagged in, they’re coming for the belt.
They’re coming for the title.
