Es Baraheni

You're comparing like a mediocre to good half court offense in OKC that can get stagnant sometimes to the Rockets where it feels very reliant on Kevin Durant isolation and Shangoon isolation.

And if both of those guys aren't dominating, they're just not going to win.

in a playoff series, right?

It's shot making is what they actually rely on.

I will say, can I play devil's advocate here for a second?

Please.

That's why we're doing this.

Yeah, you're right.

I do think they do match up well with OKC because the size that they have obviously gives them an advantage on the offensive rebounds, which can match the math battle.

The Thunder are also a team that can go through inconsistent stretches as a shooting team.

And so you grind ball OKC and try to match their energy on the defensive side of the ball.

I think they match up very well.

with what OKC can look like in a postseason series, that's sort of the identity they have to keep in mind if they want to get far in the playoffs too.

So that's my devil's advocate case for Houston is we've seen OKC grind teams in a postseason series.

Houston has that same quality to them.

Yeah, it's pretty crazy because he's giving you prime Rudy Gobert defensive productivity.

And yet all of our eyes are kind of glued to the offensive side of the ball and how much more he can tap into there.

It goes to show you how special of a player he is, because if he ever does get to that point offensively, you're looking at a consistent all NBA type of player.

But I think he's an all star this year.

I think just based on how much OKC is winning, he's been their second best player.