Thunder-Spurs WCF Matchup Could be Decided by Bench Battle

The depth of the league's two best teams should be on display throughout the conference finals.

Dec 13, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2) brings the ball up court as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) defends during the third quarter at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Western Conference Finals will be a star-studded matchup, but the benches could easily steal the spotlight.

After spending the past few days waiting to see who their opponent would be, the Oklahoma City Thunder can now prepare for the San Antonio Spurs in the conference finals. A matchup of 60-win teams, the Thunder and Spurs should be ready to battle in one of the most anticipated postseason matchups in recent years.

With names like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama headlining the matchup, there will be plenty of stakes as young stars look to add to their legacy. While the stars will be at center stage throughout the series, the games could easily be decided by what happens when the best are on the bench.

Considering the Thunder and Spurs are two of the deepest teams in the NBA, the bench battle could be one for the ages. Throughout NBA history, there have been plenty of matchups where sixth men battled it out and made a significant impact on the outcome of the series.

While the sixth man battle of Ajay Mitchell and Dylan Harper will be one to watch, each team has plenty of capable guys on down the line. With the likes of Cason Wallace, Alex Caruso and more on one side, while the other also features Luke Kornet, Keldon Johnson and others, this series shouldn’t lose any intensity when the stars get some rest.

While each team has a capable bench, the battle there might simply come down to which of Mark Daigneault and Mitch Johnson can get the most out of their reserves. Finding the right lineups and situations for the bench to thrive will be a crucial piece of the series.

Through the first two rounds, each team has gotten some key contributions from the bench. The Thunder lead all remaining teams with 36.1 bench points per game, while the Spurs are close behind at 35.1.

Add in that Oklahoma City will likely have Mitchell back on the bench as Jalen Williams returns to the starting five, and that could be a huge boost to the Thunder’s second unit, given that Mitchell has averaged 18.8 points in the playoffs. Ultimately, both teams will have firepower and instrumental glue guys to turn to on the bench, with both teams getting championship experience from their second unit.

These teams have many similarities, and whichever team can take control of the bench battle could be on its way to the NBA Finals.