Shorthanded Thunder face a tough test. Can Jaylin Williams stifle Jokic, Braun contain SGA, and Joe/McCain provide clutch shooting?
Oklahoma City has won five straight games, but its streak will be put to the test against Denver. Jalen Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein and Branden Carlson are out for this matchup, while Chet Holmgren and Alex Caruso are questionable to play.
Check out three key matchups for this potential Western Conference Finals preview.
Jaylin Williams’ Impact
With Hartenstein and Carlson sidelined and Holmgren not at full strength if he suits up, Oklahoma City requires a strong two-way performance from Jaylin Williams.
Williams is one of the best Nikola Jokić defenders across the association. Since Oct. 2023, he has defended Jokić for 142 possessions and held the 3x MVP to 22.6 points and 10.5 assists per 75 possessions on 54.4% true shooting. That’s as good as it gets against a player of Jokić’s caliber.
Why does Williams excel in this individual matchup? He’s strong enough to hold his ground in the post yet nimble enough to defend Jokić on the perimeter. Although Williams does not block shots, he does an excellent job of being a nuisance and occupying Jokic’s space.
Meanwhile, Denver loves to play drop coverage and zone defense against Oklahoma City in order to protect the paint and hide Jokic’s poor defense. Williams knocking down triples would punish this strategy and force the Nuggets’ bigs to extend to the arc.
Factor in a need for Williams to control the glass, and he’s the biggest X Factor in this contest.
Christian Braun’s Impact
Christian Braun is Denver’s best defensive option to throw at Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Although Braun cannot guard the reigning MVP on an island (nobody can), the Kansas product has had a decent amount of success when other Nuggets players shade over to show help. A strong defensive performance from Braun would be a boon for Denver’s winning chances.
On the other side, Oklahoma City loves to funnel shots to Braun because he’s an inconsistent shooter. His three-point shooting will be under the spotlight in this matchup.
Isaiah Joe and Jared McCain's Shooting
Since the Feb. 5 trade deadline, Joe and McCain have combined to shoot 43.5% from beyond the arc on 12 attempts per game. Both of them command plenty of defensive attention and are comfortable at shooting on the move. If Joe and McCain get hot from deep against Denver, then it would alleviate some of the burden from Gilgeous-Alexander’s shoulders and open up the court for the Thunder’s drivers.