As we approach the halfway point of the regular season, three NBA teams stand out as true contenders. That doesn’t mean all three will find themselves in the conference finals, and it doesn’t mean another team won’t enter the picture. But so far, the Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers seem to be head and shoulders above everyone else.
The Thunder and Cavs faced off on Wednesday night, with both combining to win 25 straight games (15 straight for the Thunder, 10 for the Cavs), and the Cavs took care of it, continuing their winning streak with a 129-122 victory.
These are matchups that could also drop some crucial breadcrumbs as to who will face each other in June. The Thunder on Sunday night disposed of the Celtics — rather convincingly — providing a delicious subplot for this marquee matchup.
Here are some key points from Wednesday night’s game that could be important going forward:
SGA understood its responsibility
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, one of the league’s best players and an MVP candidate, once again showed off the combination of his 6-foot-6 frame, patient offense and high-court vision to continually probe Cleveland’s defense. He finished with 31 points on 13-of-27 shooting.
The 26-year-old is one of the most powerful and fluid two-way stars in the league, and it almost looks like he’ll average 30-plus points over the next few years by being fundamentally sound and shooting within the flow of the offense.
However, when the Thunder go through offensive droughts, Gilgeous-Alexander will occasionally step outside the offense and call his own number on consecutive possessions, which is the role of the star after all. Against a Cavaliers team, with the lead constantly changing hands, the NBA point guard decided to take matters into his own hands.
Cleveland using depth
Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson has cut back on minutes in his prime, with Donovan Mitchell scoring just 31 goals per game. Atkinson relies on depth, as Caris LeVert, Max Strus, Georges Niang and Tai Jerome play big minutes on the bench, while they are relied upon as legitimate offensive contributors who occupy space on the floor.
Strus was ever-present off the court throughout the game, hitting five threes, scoring 17 points and proving how important his return was to Cleveland’s chances in the Finals. Strus missed the first 28 games of the season and is now back in the lineup, where his shooting is often the glue between the Cavaliers’ four stars.
OKC could really use Chet Holmgren
The Thunder are missing Chet Holmgren, full stop. While Isaiah Hartenstein did a great job — which is also to be expected for someone making $30 million this season — Holmgren’s presence would have radically changed the dynamics of Oklahoma City’s interior play when they faced Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.
That’s not to say Hartenstein didn’t play well. He did just that, finishing with 18 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, closing down the paint well defensively and swinging the ball efficiently. His nimble 7-foot frame and sneaky athleticism remain the Thunder’s biggest defensive assets on the interior. It goes without saying that he’s not the same caliber of floor spacers as Holmgren, which means there are wrinkles to the matchup between these two teams that we didn’t get to see.
The two teams will play again on January 16, and while Holmgren is ramping up his physical activity, it remains to be seen whether he will be available that day. Even if he is, he will likely play in a limited capacity.
Evan Mobley uploaded
Evan Mobley remains Cleveland’s X-factor. When he’s active around the rim, trying to get rebounds and second-chance points, he puts a tremendous amount of pressure on opponents. When he tries to create too much on the perimeter and over-the-top dribbles, those are possessions that don’t pass through the hands of Mitchell and Darius Garland.
Mobley, who scored 21 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and provided seven assists, is having a career season, but his offense must take another leap in the coming years. He’s currently sharing the offensive load with some heavy hitters, but there are shots he can catch over the course of a game if he wants to. As a 7-foot player with strong ball-handling abilities, the sky is truly the limit for him. But he must strive for it.
All-Star Jalen Williams?
Jalen Williams is the best player in the league and no one outside of Thunder fans talks about him. The 6-5 Swiss Army Knife plays as many as four positions, averages 20.6 points per season and serves as a secondary builder, who often flies under the radar.
Williams, who finished with 25 points and nine assists, got off to a hot start, scoring seven points and three rebounds in the first five minutes as he tried to set the tone. His wide, physical frame absorbs contact, allowing him to finish through traffic, providing the Thunder with a notable presence to take pressure off of Gilgeous-Alexander.
As good as the Thunder are, it’s hard to argue against Williams as a true All-Star candidate this season. Some guys might put up eye-catching numbers, but in terms of impact, Williams has a strong case.
Donovan Mitchell takes it easy
Donovan Mitchell is clearly saving himself for the postseason. His 23.3 point scoring average is modest for his level, but that seems to be by design. Mitchell spent years scoring at ridiculously high rates in Utah, as well as during his first two seasons in Cleveland, but has now stepped back and relied more on the abundance of talent on the roster.
That doesn’t mean Mitchell still has the scoring ability he once did. The Thunder clearly surrounded him in their game plan, rotating Gilgeous-Alexander and second-year big man Kason Wallace on him. He started out horribly, going 0-for-6 until getting his first points with 1:53 left in the first half. He finished 3 of 16 from the floor for 11 points and will no doubt be looking for a better start when these two teams face off again.
Darius Garland is back
Garland had a great game despite his mediocre 18-point, seven-assist line, continuing to bounce back from last season. The 6-2 point guard is one of the most efficient scoring guards in the NBA, but what’s notable is how the game has slowed down for him. In the past, he often tried to force the issue, by taking ill-advised shots and making questionable decisions with the ball. But this season under Atkinson, Garland has played point guard beautifully, taking full advantage of Cleveland’s fast-paced offense.
It seems more and more that Garland’s optimal role moving forward will always be one of designing a fast-paced attack in which he can set the tone, dictate the pace and take quick shots off the dribble, whether that’s from three points or getting to the cup. . Garland is playing just 30 minutes per game this season, and that allows the former All-Star to go all out in the minutes he is on the floor. For a guy who was in trade rumors last June, this was a huge development in his story. Garland finding new life in Cleveland, under a new coach, is largely what has allowed the Cavaliers to be as dominant as they have been this season.
SGA is very similar to MJ?
During last year’s NBA playoffs, a lot of the media was busy comparing Minnesota shooting guard Anthony Edwards to Michael Jordan, but are we sure that Gilgeous-Alexander isn’t the most appropriate player to make that comparison with?
The sheer amount of moves and counter-moves in Gilgeous-Alexander’s arsenal tended to bring the ball back to Jordan’s advancing feet and how he operated in the middle of the field. The drop in transition, mid-range pull-ups, up-and-downs, and ruthlessness in attacking the rim, while contorting his body in a variety of ways, seem to underscore Gilgeous-Alexander as a better example to offer in comparison to Jordan.
Jarrett Allen rises to the occasion
Allen is still criminally underrated. The 7-foot center is often described as an edge runner, yet it’s his overall presence that stands out. His keen understanding of timing, when to roll, when to drop back, and when to crouch into the bunker, is a key offensive component for Cleveland. The former All-Star had 15 points, six rebounds and four assists in the first half, and finished with 25 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, sending an eternal reminder to people watching that he is one of the best two-way players. Centers in the NBA.
Allen converts nearly 70% from the field on the season, due to the fact that 91.9% of his shots come from within 10 feet of the basket, providing the Cavaliers with an elite finishing element that allows Mobley to roam freely offensively. .
What does Thunder need?
The Thunder could find more shooting at the trade deadline. The Cavs have had some success getting into the zone, forcing the Thunder to confront the fact that while they have solid shooters, they don’t have any prime zone busters who can leave the floor consistently. This does not mean that they need a shooter, but if they find a man who is always ready to shoot, without a conscience, it will not be the worst thing in the world.