Will the Thunder let another weeklong layoff slow them down? Don’t count on it

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Among the many mantras the Oklahoma City Thunder can lean on, one in particular is guiding their approach to the second round of the playoffs. It’s a phrase that reflects the team’s mindset during the downtime between games — critical moments they believe can be just as important as the games themselves.

“We always say, ‘The times in between the games are the days that you have to win in the playoffs,’” Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said.

After capturing the Western Conference’s top seed the past two seasons, the Thunder have gotten plenty of practice. Oklahoma City will get between seven and nine days off as they await the winner between the Denver Nuggets and LA Clippers.

If history is any indication, the Thunder’s layoff won’t be the thing that slows them down.

While watching the Play-In Tournament unfold, the Thunder had six days between games from their regular-season finale until Game 1 of their playoff against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Thunder beat the Grizzlies by 51 points in Game 1.

Last season, the same circumstances gave the Thunder six days between games from the regular-season finale until Game 1 against the New Orleans Pelicans. Oklahoma City secured a two-point win in Game 1 and went on to sweep the Pelicans. After that, the Thunder had seven days off before Game 1 of their semifinal series against the Dallas Mavericks. They won the playoff opener against the Mavericks by 22 points before losing the series in six games.

“We’ll always take it,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said of the additional rest. “We’re trying to win every game. We can’t choose how the series unfolds. We put our best foot forward and let the outcomes be what they are.

“It’s good, obviously, physically, to rejuvenate. Guys, I’m sure, are dealing with things here and there to get healthy, and it allows ample prep time. I thought we handled it really well, coming out of the regular season, getting ourselves ready to play at the start of (the Memphis) series. We’re going to need to replicate that this week as we wait for that other series to finish.”

Thunder big man Chet Holmgren said the team “went hard” in the week leading up to the Grizzlies series. They scrimmaged to stay sharp and well-conditioned. They also used the time to pinpoint areas of improvement.

“We did a great job of really getting after it in practice,” Holmgren said. “Obviously, you can’t be getting too physical. You don’t want anybody getting hurt in a week of practice right before the playoffs. All type of stuff happened this year, and we’re fortunate enough to come into the playoffs with pretty much everybody being healthy. Knock on wood, we’re able to keep that going.”

Chet Holmgren and the Thunder have been holding team scrimmages to stay sharp during the lengthy layoff after a sweep of the Memphis Grizzlies. (Alonzo Adams / Imagn Images)

The rest advantage the Thunder will carry into the second round won’t just be seen in days off, but also in minutes played. Because they won Games 1 and 2 against the Grizzlies by a combined 70 points, the Thunder never needed to overextend their regulars. No Thunder player logged more minutes than Gilgeous-Alexander’s 140 in the team’s opening-round series. By comparison, all five Nuggets starters, and at least three Clippers starters, are on pace to be in the 200s by the end of their slugfest.

“Honestly, it could work both ways,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It could add a little rust, or it could add a little freshness. I think trying to find the balance in between those two is going to be important.”

The Thunder figure to benefit from having a deep roster, one that Daigneault remains comfortable playing 11 deep even in the playoffs. If one player is rusty, OKC seemingly has two more who will eagerly fill in fabulously. That’s a hard combination for an opponent to overcome, especially when that opponent is tired.

“Everybody’s got to be ready,” Holmgren said. “Because everybody’s moment looks different. It comes at a different time. But we’re going to need everybody at some point throughout this. So we all just have to continue to stay ready and keep improving through experiences and understanding that adversity’s going to hit.”

The best way the Thunder know how to prepare is by winning the time between games.

“I think we made some progress from last year to this year in terms of our process,” Daigneault said. “But we’ve done a nice job of getting ourselves ready for the series. We’ve played well in the Game 1s. I think we’ve maintained relative rhythm and sharpness as much as you can without games. So, we’ll try to replicate that and do it again this week. It’s easier said than done. The guys have to bring great focus and intentionality. We have to put a great plan out there. Hopefully, we all do that.”

(Top photo: Joe Murphy / NBAE via Getty Images)

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