The Oklahoma City Thunder have a commanding 2-0 series lead over the Memphis Grizzlies as the series shifts to Memphis. The Thunder have gotten off to this great start by stifling defense, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams playing like All-Stars despite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s struggles. Games 3 and 4 won’t happen till Thursday and Saturday, with a potential Game 5 on Monday. This means the Thunder could be one of, if not the first, team to advance to the next round. If the Thunder can advance to the second round early, it can bring them many benefits.
The benefit of being the number one seed is that you usually get a favorable matchup in round 1. This is exactly what the Thunder have received this year with Memphis and last year with the Pelicans. The other three series in the Western Conference are tied 1-1 going into Game 3, with a good chance that those series could go to six or even seven games. This is why the Thunder advancing to the second round early will be a good thing for them. Let’s dive into the benefits the Thunder have with wrapping up the series with Memphis in four or five games.
The Benefits of the Thunder Advancing to Round 2 Early
The Thunder Get a Longer Rest
We saw what the Thunder are capable of doing in the first game of a series with tons of rest going into it. They beat the Grizzlies by 51 points and set a tone early for what this series will look like. Ultimately, they have sent a message to the Grizzlies that you guys can’t compete with us. The Thunder have a chance to sweep the Grizzlies and advance to the second round by Saturday or by Monday if it goes five games. The series that the Thunder would be watching after that is the Nuggets and Clippers series.
That series is tied 1-1, and their game five won’t be until Tuesday. Even if both series end in five games, the Thunder would still have one extra day of rest; however, there is a good chance the Nuggets and Clippers series extend to six or seven games. If that is the case, their Game 6 and 7 won’t happen till Thursday, May 1st, and Saturday, May 3rd. This would allow the Thunder to almost get a week off to rest and come in as the fresher team, while the winner of the other series would be getting out of a hard-fought series and be more tired.
Less Chance of an Injury
The Thunder have been one of the most injured teams all year, with multiple key players missing time. The Thunder were lucky that they were able to be fully healthy when the playoffs started. However, the chances of injuries go up as the series extends. OKC would like to avoid any unnecessary games to steer clear of any possible injuries. Ultimately, injuries can still happen, as we have seen with the injuries to Jimmy Butler and Jayson Tatum.
Also, with the Thunder getting more time off than the opponent in the second round, it would allow them to heal any minor injuries players are dealing with. Usually, minor injuries won’t affect a player’s availability in a game, especially in the playoffs. However, it could lead to a much larger issue that could force a player to sit out a couple of games. The Thunder, having a chance to heal any sort of minor injuries heading into the next round, will be a huge advantage.
More Time to Prepare for the Next Opponent
The final benefit is more time to prepare for your opponent. Once the two teams advance to play each other in the second round, there isn’t much of a break in between. This means the last team to advance has less time to prepare against the team that advanced first. The Thunder had a week to prepare against four teams and then three days to prepare against two teams. While the Grizzlies just had one day to prepare for the Thunder, and they were entering game one not prepared enough for what the Thunder brought, which factored into the Thunder winning by 51.
The Thunder could have a week or around five days to prepare for either the Clippers or Nuggets in the second round. While the winner of that series might just get one or two days to prepare for the Thunder. This will allow the Thunder to have a chance to make a statement win in Game 1 and set the tone early for the series.
The Last Word
The Thunder advancing to the second round early has the potential for many benefits it could bring them. However, the Grizzlies are still a good team, and this series could extend to six games. Ultimately, the Thunder have proven this season and in this series that they are the better team and will win this series, with the only question being how many games it will take them?
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