This is one of the most anticipated playoff series of the last decade, and the best part is that it feels like only the beginning. With the amount of young talent on both rosters, the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs look destined to sit atop the Western Conference for years to come.

The regular season matchup heavily favored San Antonio, as the Spurs went 4-1 against Oklahoma City, including three wins by double digits. The lone Thunder victory was a dominant 21-point win, showing just how high the ceiling is for both teams. What makes this matchup so fascinating is the physicality and star power on each side, led by MVP-caliber talents Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama.

Defensively, the Spurs’ approach to Shai is especially intriguing. They’re expected to put Stephon Castle on him and aggressively double-team nearly every ball screen. It’s a strategy similar to what the Los Angeles Lakers used successfully at times, except San Antonio has far more defensive talent and versatility. That means the pressure shifts onto Oklahoma City’s role players like Luguentz Dort and Alex Caruso to consistently knock down open shots as they will be left wide open. The emergence of Ajay Mitchell could also become a major swing factor, as he’ll likely see more one-on-one opportunities than Shai throughout the series.

On the other side, San Antonio should be able to find offensive success against Oklahoma City’s hyper-aggressive defense. The Thunder constantly pressures driving lanes, but that can leave teams vulnerable to catch-and-shoot opportunities. The Spurs typically space the floor extremely well with shooting at nearly every position outside of some Luke Kornet minutes. Wembanyama is going to face doubles on nearly every post touch, so his passing and decision-making will likely determine just how dangerous the Spurs offense can become in this series.

The Prediction- Spurs in 6

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