The regular season wins record seems uncatchable after Oklahoma City lost its third game over its past five contests. San Antonio cruised to a 130-110 victory behind a combined 69 points from Keldon Johnson, Stephon Castle and Harrison Barnes. 

Here are crucial takeaways from the Thunder’s most recent loss. 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points on 14-of-22 shooting from the field and contributed eight assists compared to only two turnovers. He looked comfortable and often managed to avoid Victor Wembanyama’s help defense.  

But Oklahoma City’s offense struggled mightily when Gilgeous-Alexander took a breather or San Antonio aggressively doubled him. 

Jalen Williams couldn’t dribble past the Spurs’ guards or wings, while Wembanyama’s length neutralized Chet Holmgren’s self-created shots inside the arc. The rest of the Thunder merely passed the basketball around the arc without purpose because they were also not able to create separation off the bounce. 

Ajay Mitchell’s absence is a huge reason behind the poor offensive performance. He routinely manufactures quality shots for others and gets to the rim at will. However, it’s concerning that only Gilgeous-Alexander and Mitchell can currently be relied upon to pressure the rim and create shots. A team with championship aspirations should not crumble because its sixth man misses the game. 

Whether it means internal improvement or a move at the trade deadline, Oklahoma City must heighten its offensive firepower – especially when Gilgeous-Alexander is on the bench. 

Trying to remove Wembanyama’s defense from the equation with speed and length is folly. He’s too tall and agile for this avenue to work. But utilizing strength against Wembanyama can take him out of the play. 

Check out Isaiah Hartenstein physically pinning Wembanyama down to a spot in the clip below via NBA.com. He prevented San Antonio’s superstar from contesting Cason Wallace’s shot and would have also done so for Jalen Williams if Williams managed to turn the corner. 

Essentially, Hartenstein acted as an immovable obstacle and did not let Wembanyama get a runway to fly in as a help defender. The Thunder’s coaching staff should find film of Steven Adams performing these screens for Ja Morant when they were teammates in Memphis. Adams is the master of creating driving lanes for teammates with screens inside the paint. 

Overall, it’s a wrinkle worth exploring for the Thunder because limiting Wembanyama’s defensive impact is the key to defeating San Antonio.