It has been over a week since the Oklahoma City Thunder played their last game after sweeping the Memphis Grizzlies in Round 1 of the 2025 NBA playoffs.
While the Thunder did not play up to their standards, a few interesting trends stood out.
Let’s look back as a way to forecast what’s ahead. Below are things you should buy and sell from the Thunder’s sweep of the Grizzlies, and how these things can translate into their battle with the Nuggets.
Chet Holmgren’s increase in three-point shooting: Buy
Chet Holmgren averaged 3.6 3-point attempts per game in the regular season. In Round 1 against the Grizzlies, Holmgren attempted 6.5 per game, making them at a 42% clip.
No Thunder player made more 3s (11) than Holmgren in the series, and only SGA attempted more (28) than Holmgren (26).
SGA’s shooting slump: Sell
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looked like his MVP self by Game 4, going off for 38 points on 54% shooting. That followed three straight games of sub-40% shooting, a slump unlike any he had in the regular season, where he never had back-to-back games in which he shot sub-40%.
His poor 3-point shooting (25%) on a high volume (7.0 attempts per game) ultimately hindered his efficiency.
He must be better as the competition rises, and he most certainly will rise to the occasion as he has done all season.
Depth wins championships: Buy
As we saw with the Lakers in their first-round matchup and their ultimate elimination, depth matters. If you do not have it, it puts more stress on your starters.
The cliche of depth not mattering in the playoffs might be dead. Oklahoma City, Cleveland, and Boston are the three best teams in the league by a sizable gap. The best teams have strong peripheral pieces to complement their stars.
Nine Thunder players averaged at least 10 minutes per game in Round 1. The most-used players off OKC’s bench in order of minutes: Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins.
That does not include Jaylin Williams and Kenrich Williams, who could help the Thunder in spots. J-Will as a third-team center and Kenrich as an enforcer.
Ajay Mitchell playoff minutes?: Sell
It’s asking too much of the rookie at this current moment.
Mitchell was a rotation regular before he went down in January with a right big toe injury that required surgery. He made it back on the court with two games to play in the regular season, and he logged 17 minutes in the Memphis series— an accomplishment in its own right.
Had Mitchell stayed healthy, there’s little doubt the Thunder would have found minutes for him in the playoffs. He gives OKC another on-ball creator to run the bench lineups.
Mitchell played in the Big West conference a year ago. The idea of him playing big minutes or any minutes at all in the West playoffs after such a long layoff seems a stretch and unfair to him.
Thunder remains the favorite to win the West: Buy
It’s not even close.
According to FanDuel, OKC is -220 to win the West. Minnesota is second at +420, the Warriors are +850, while the Nuggets have the worst odds with +1100.
The Thunder open Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals at their beloved Paycom Center on Monday night.
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