Which Player Would OKC Thunder Rather Face in Round 2 of NBA Playoffs?

Star power becomes so much more important on both offense and defense in the NBA postseason. The Oklahoma City Thunder checks that box on offense, with Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander's elite three-level scoring ability. However, the game plan will change defensively depending on who they play in the second round of the playoffs.

Regardless of who OKC takes on in Round 2 of the playoffs, they will face a superstar and one of the league's best scorers. Denver big man Nikola Jokic and Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard are in the middle of a heated series that's headed to a seventh game, one that has battle-tested both teams and players.

Only one of those squads will come out on top and how the Thunder prepare for either star will be very different, as will the matchups. There isn't one player the Thunder would rather face off against because both will present unique challenges, but based on personnel, one of the two may be an easier guard than the other.

Leonard is certainly an elite scorer and gets to his mid-range spots with ease, but OKC could throw a mixture of Lu Dort, Jalen Williams and Alex Caruso at him to shut him down. Dort and Williams have the size to contend with Leonard and Caruso, the wits and quick hands to keep up.

Mixing it up and throwing a variety of those three at Leonard could certainly make his life harder. When matched with high-intensity defense blended with physicality, Leonard can come to a standstill. That being said, he is at the peak of his scoring ability for this season, so the physicality of Dort and Williams might only slow him down.

On the contrary, Jokic against Isaiah Hartenstein or Chet Holmgren would be a more challenging matchup. Hartenstein is a solid defender and will certainly hold his ground against Jokic, but if LA's Ivica Zubac has had troubles slowing him down, there might not be anything Hartenstein and the Thunder could do to slow him down.

Everyone knows that Jokic does more than just score as well and that's part of what makes him so hard to defend. When he gets the ball at any spot on the court, the odds of the Nuggets adding points to the scoreboard are high. If he's not in the paint, Holmgren could be an enticing matchup for him because of his length and mobility.

If Jokic gets down low, however, Hartenstein may not even be able to shut him down. Stopping Jokic is a incredibly hard thing to do, which is why OKC probably wouldn't want to game plan for him in Round 2.

The team matchups may differ from individual players, but it can be hard to bet against Jokic in a playoff series. He's a fierce competitor who will never go down easily and that mentality would stay the same against the Thunder.