The Thunder came out flat in its first Christmas Day game since 2018. Nobody could make a shot, and the energy was not where it needed to be. San Antonio deserves a ton of credit for making Oklahoma City seem mortal. 

Here is what Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said in his post-game interview after the crushing loss: “We have to get better as a group. You don’t lose to a team three times in a row in a short span without them being better than you.” 

Oklahoma City is still the best team in the league and should be favored to win the title, but San Antonio has its number. Check out why it’s the worst possible matchup for the Thunder. 

The offense is built on drives, rim pressure and midrange jumpers. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren and Ajay Mitchell all channel their games around two-point shots. They are surrounded by defensive aces with weak catch-and-shoot jumpers, but the vast majority of teams cannot force Oklahoma City’s stars to give up the basketball to these offensive liabilities. 

Enter Victor Wembanyama. His eight-foot wingspan and impressive mobility allow him to contest any shot inside the paint. He’s so dominant as an inside-the-arc defender that even Gilgeous-Alexander struggles to get to his midrange game against San Antonio. 

Wembanyama’s presence mostly takes away the Thunder’s paint pressure and subsequently forces it to settle for jump shots. He also overwhelms Holmgren’s self-creation chops, which removes a key safety blanket from Oklahoma City’s offense. 

The Spurs’ guards and wings ooze size, length and defensive IQ. It has the athletes to run with the Thunder and stay attached on drives. Stephon Castle, in particular, is one of the best Gilgeous-Alexander defenders on the planet. 

Plus, it does not have any terrible individual defenders and always plays a seven-foot rim protector thanks to having Luke Kornet as an overqualified backup center. 

Overall, no team can limit Oklahoma City’s stars and force them to funnel shots to weak shooters like San Antonio. Minnesota accomplishes this feat to a lesser degree because it follows the formula of having a plethora of athletic, physical guards and wings around a seven-foot rim protector. But Wembanyama is a unique game-changer. 

On the other end, Wembanyama’s enormous catch radius means San Antonio can get the basketball into the heart of Oklahoma City’s defense at will. The Thunder must then pick its poison – either allow Wembanyama to isolate a mismatch (which is everyone is to him) or double him and surrender a relatively clean catch-and-shoot triple. 

De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper also manage to consistently dribble past Oklahoma City’s elite perimeter defenders due to their speed and athleticism. The Thunder excel at sending help, but San Antonio’s guards are excellent passers and always seem to find the open man. 

Overall, San Antonio is one of the few teams that does not look athletically overmatched and can routinely get the basketball inside the paint against Oklahoma City’s defense.