A year ago, the Thunder and the Pelicans faced off on the first night of the play-in, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his teammates sent the New Orleans players on vacation. A year later, the two teams found themselves in the first round of the playoffs, proof that they had progressed with 17 and 7 more victories, respectively. Especially OKC, revelation of the season with this first place in the West. At its head, Mark Daigneault, elected coach of the year by his peers. His counterpart, Willie Green, also deserves credit for making the playoffs despite major injuries, such as those of the Murphy-Alvarado tandem at the start of the season, of Brandon Ingram in March and April, and now Zion Williamson, affected during the play-off against to the Lakers.
PRESENTATION OF THE THUNDER
The holders : Lu Dort, Josh Giddey, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren
The replacements : Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, Gordon Hayward, Jaylen Williams, Ousmane Dieng, Cason Wallace, Lindy Waters, Mike Muscala, Bismack Biyombo
The absents : none
The coach : Mark Daigneault
A brilliant soloist and a flawless collective. This is what emerges from the Thunder, sometimes irresistible with its alert and altruistic basketball, but also its very high defense. For some, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is Nikola Jokic's number 1 opponent in the MVP race. Chet Holmgren has immense potential, and his accuracy is astonishing for a rookie. As for Jalen Williams, he is a line breaker, both through his power and his creativity. OKC is rarely cited as a title contender, and this series will help us learn more about its true potential.
The strong point
– General balance. This Thunder has been playing together for several seasons, and its progress has been constant. At its head, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the best player in the series, and a true leader. With Lu Dort, he is one of the few to know the atmosphere of the playoffs, and their complementarity brings stability and balance to the team. In the Top 5 of the best attacks and best defenses, OKC has a well-defined hierarchy and the starting five is one of the most used in the entire NBA.
The weak point
– Inexperience. For a week, Mark Daigneault and his players have continued to answer that their youth is not a flaw. Firstly because they will still be young for 4 or 5 years, and they proved this season that they can play like “veterans”. Then because this youth is only relative since Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort and Josh Giddey have shone on the international scene and they have experience of major competitions. But what will happen to Holmgren against this old guy Jonas Valanciunas or Jalen Williams against Brandon Ingram?
PRESENTATION OF THE PELICANS
The holders : C. McCollum, B. Ingram, H. Jones, T. Murphy III, J. Valanciunas
The replacements : N. Marshall, L. Nance Jr, J. Alvarado, J. Hawkins, D. Daniels, C. Zeller.
The absents :Zion Williamson
The coach : Willie Green
With their 49 victories, the Pelicans did not deserve to miss the playoffs, and they snatched their qualification without Zion Williamson against the Kings. They face a formation that somewhat resembles them since without Zion Williamson, Willie Green will evolve with a five which focuses on versatility and outside defense. OKC may be the ideal opponent for the Pelicans, both due to their inexperience, but also their lack of physicality in the paint.
The strong point
– External defense The Pelicans have the best outside defense in the country, and the 6th ranked defense in the country. Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III are aggressive and mobile, and Brandon Ingram's long segments greatly hamper opponents, limited to 35% from 3-point range. Another strong point: balloon flight, with the 3rd mark in the entire NBA. We can count on Jose Alvarado and Herb Jones to sacrifice themselves on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The weak point
– The lack of effectiveness without Zion Williamson. There are numbers that say a lot… Like those taken from the oppositions between the Thunder and the Pelicans this season. Against OKC, the Pelicans posted an offensive efficiency of 108.5 points on 100 possessions when Williamson was on the court. It fell to 91.4 points per 100 possessions without him. We remember that the power forward had missed the first opposition, and the Pelicans had only scored 83 points!
THE KEY TO THE SERIES
– The absence of Zion Williamson. Officially, Williamson is out for at least two weeks. If the series continues, and his hamstring has healed well, we could see him in the series. It would be a valuable reinforcement, obviously in terms of talent, but also mentally. With him, the Pelicans know they can beat anyone. His power and ability to magnetize the defense unbalance opponents and free shooters. Against the Kings, Larry Nance Jr, with resources, brought energy and troubled the Kings defense. But OKC is a whole other level and Ingram is the only one who can dominate his opponents in “isolation”. A key element in the playoffs where placed play is more important.
REGULAR SEASON
OKC 2-1
– November 1: OKC – New Orleans (106-110)
– January 3: New Orleans – OKAY (83-107)
– March 26: New Orleans – OKAY (112-119)
VERDICT
OKC 4-2. Even if the Pelicans have the defensive assets to hamper Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and disrupt the Thunder's great machine, the absence of Zion Williamson seems detrimental. In the best case, he will return around May 1, and the series will, in theory, be in the 5th round. And what state will it be in? With the support of a lively public, and with its regular season record, the Thunder seems able to avoid the “upset”.
CALENDAR
Game 1: in OKC, Sunday April 21 (3:30 a.m.)
Game 2: in OKC, Wednesday April 24 (3:30 a.m., Wednesday night to Thursday)
Game 3: in New Orleans, Saturday April 27 (9:30 p.m.)
Game 4: in New Orleans, Monday April 29 (to be determined)
Game 5*: in OKC, Wednesday May 1 (TBD)
Game 6*: in New Orleans, Friday May 3 (to be determined)
Game 7*: in OKC, Sunday May 5 (TBD)
