Previous Playoff Experience Can Provide Value for OKC Thunder

The Thunder don't have much playoff experience, but a couple of stars could make up for that.

Despite their youth, the Oklahoma City Thunder will still bring valuable playoff experience into their upcoming postseason run.

The Thunder have been one of the NBA’s biggest success stories this season, with Wednesday’s win against the San Antonio Spurs securing back-to-back seasons with a 15-win improvement. Although their 55-25 record has signaled they are among the league’s elite, the Thunder’s youth has raised doubts about their postseason ceiling.

Aside from the trio of players likely to have limited playoff roles that has played for at least a decade, the team has only three players with playoff experience. With one of those players being Isaiah Joe, who played only 24 playoff minutes in Philadelphia, the Thunder’s longest-tenured players bring the most valuable playoff minutes.

Before Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was traded to Oklahoma City, he saw his first playoff action with the LA Clippers. In his rookie season, Gilgeous-Alexander’s Clippers took the No. 1 seed Golden State Warriors to six games.

The future Thunder star got a taste of a hostile playoff environment at Oracle Arena, where the Clippers took Games 2 and 5. He averaged 13.7 points in the series, including a 25-point outing in Game 4.

A year later, Gilgeous-Alexander made the playoffs again with the Thunder in the NBA Bubble. Although the Thunder lost to the Houston Rockets in seven games, Gilgeous-Alexander showed his potential.

Oklahoma City’s young star averaged 16.3 points, with a 31-point performance in Game 2 and a double-double in Game 4. Gilgeous-Alexander played well alongside future Hall of Famer Chris Paul, but he was not the only current Thunder player to make a significant impact.

Luguentz Dort was a significant piece of the Thunder’s 2019-20 season. In his rookie season, Dort went from a two-way contract to guarding James Harden as a playoff starter.

Although Dort did not experience a hostile playoff environment like Gilgeous-Alexander, he showed incredible perseverance in his only playoff series. After missing Game 1 with an injury, Dort returned in Game 2 and played well defensively. However, his offense never came together until Game 7.

After shooting 7-of-38 from beyond the arc through the first six games, Dort scored 30 points and made six 3-pointers in a tight Game 7 loss. 

Oklahoma City is in a much different situation than it was in 2020. But when Dort and Gilgeous-Alexander’s young teammates face similar situations in their upcoming playoff run, getting advice from the team’s longest-tenured stars could provide significant value.

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