The Series So Far

The series between OKC and San Antonio is heating up, with OKC taking a commanding lead. But the real story might not be on the court - it’s about the Thunder’s looming salary cap crisis. HoosierDaddyKid kicked off the discussion with a few key points, including the struggles of double-teaming SGA and the bench production in the series.

Bench Points

cow had a great take on the Spurs’ bench:

“I’ve been so impressed by Williams stepping up. It always seemed like he had more of a Dwight Powell role for the team, but he erased that notion tonight.”

The Spurs’ bench has been keeping up with OKC’s, even with Wemby on the bench. Chicagojk noted:

“Looks like San Antonio can compete with Wemby on the bench, while OKC bench roles with Caruso, J-will and McCain. They just come at you in waves.”

Salary Cap Woes

Mavs2021 and windjc got into a debate about OKC’s salary cap situation. Mavs2021 joked:

“Well as long as you are not the self-proclaimed guru of reading ability we all good.”

But windjc brought the heat:

“No no no no no. Mavs2021 - self proclaimed guru - has laid out multiple posts telling us about all the players OKC can keep. So the only conclusion is they have an exclusion to taxation.”

The reality is that OKC’s young core is excelling, but their payroll problems are piling up. windjc warned:

“Soon they will be forced to build around SGA - the highest paid player on the NBA -and Chet. Everyone else will be replaced with cheaper options, because they will be sought after by other teams and OKC can’t max them.”

Wemby’s Growth

Knutsen had a great suggestion for Wemby’s development:

“The challenge is - and always will be - that Wemby is so long that a great, swarming defense will always pick the ball when he dribbles inside the three point line. They need to give him the ball moving and rolling to the basket much more. And the deadliest thing would be if Dirk mentors him on killing it from the elbow - positioning, catching, turning, faking, shooting, sometimes taking a single dribble.”

Spurs’ Future

Jmaciscool had a scathing take on the Spurs’ young guard:

“Castle sucks, in fact I’ll give some free advice to any potential Spurs front office types that may be reading this: get rid of this guy asap, preferably to a team you don’t like, such as the Mavs.”

Conclusion

As the series continues, OKC’s payroll problems will be a major storyline to watch. Can they keep their young core together, or will they have to make some tough decisions? One thing’s for sure - it’s going to be a wild ride. And if you’re cow, you’re probably thinking Wemby needs to get in the lab this offseason to take his game to the next level.

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