The OKC Thunder will face the Denver Nuggets in the second round of the NBA Playoffs.
No. 1-seeded OKC advanced with a sweep of the No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies. Meanwhile, No. 4 Denver advanced with a 4-3 series win over the No. 5 Los Angeles Clippers.
OKC and Denver split their four meetings in the regular season. Now, the two teams are clashing once again with a trip to the Western Conference Finals on the line this time around.
Here’s a complete breakdown of the Thunder-Nuggets matchup:
OKC Thunder vs Denver Nuggets matchup breakdown
Backcourt starters
In previous years, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope would’ve been the primary defender on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
But with Caldwell-Pope now in Orlando, Michael Porter Jr. and Christian Braun got the bulk of that assignment during the regular season. Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 30.3 points against the Nuggets in those four games, and he shot 51.1% from the field (47.1% from deep) when guarded by either Porter or Braun.
Gilgeous-Alexander is going to be a handful for Denver to defend. And even though the Nuggets also boast a dangerous guard in Jamal Murray, he’ll have to earn every bucket in this series.
Murray will mostly be guarded by Lu Dort, an elite defender who’s plenty familiar with his Murray’s game. The two guards have played alongside each other throughout the years for the Canadian men’s national team. Point, OKC.
Edge: Thunder
Frontcourt starters
OKC has one of the best frontcourts in the NBA.
Jalen Williams is an All-Star forward who averaged 23.3 points in the first-round series against Memphis. And the big-man duo of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein is a matchup nightmare with its combination of floor spacing, passing and rim protection.
Still, the edge has to go to the team with the best player in the world. Nikola Jokic is an unstoppable force whose ability to create for others will test even an elite defensive team like OKC.
Aaron Gordon also impressed in the first-round series against Los Angeles by averaging 18.9 points. And while his production is inconsistent, Porter is an X-Factor with his ability to knock down 3-pointers and crash the glass.
Edge: Nuggets
Bench production
These playoffs have shown that depth is just as important as star power, and OKC has both.
Need some defense off the bench? The Thunder has an All-Defensive-caliber veteran in Alex Caruso and a young guard in Cason Wallace who can also be disruptive.
Need a scoring punch off the bench? The Thunder has Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe, who can both light up the scoreboard.
Denver’s biggest contributor off the bench is Russell Westbrook, who can be a game changer with his elite motor. Still, OKC gets the clear edge in this department.
Edge: Thunder
Coaching
The Nuggets are in the midst of a coaching transition.
Denver began the campaign with Michael Malone as its head coach. He led the Nuggets to a championship in 2022-23, and he holds the record for the most coaching wins in franchise history (471).
But Denver fired Malone on April 8, just five days before the end of the regular season. The Nuggets are now led by interim head coach David Adelman, a long-time assistant whose only previous head coaching experience was with Lincoln High in Portland, Oregon.
Adelman is an offensive-minded coach with plenty of potential, but he doesn’t have much experience calling the shots. The edge goes to Mark Daigneault, a former Coach of the Year winner who found success with numerous lineup combinations this season as OKC overcame a wave of injuries.
Edge: Thunder
Intangibles
OKC is the better team on paper.
The Thunder has the edge offensively with the league’s best scorer, Gilgeous-Alexander, and a strong supporting cast. It also has the edge on defense with the versatility to thrive in any matchup.
But if Denver has one clear edge in this series, it’s championship experience. The Nuggets won a title just two seasons ago, and the only starter from that team who’s no longer around is Caldwell-Pope.
OKC entered this season as the youngest team in the NBA. And even though it reached the second round of the playoffs last season, Denver is easily the more experienced team. We’ll see how much that plays a factor in this series.
Edge: Nuggets
Justin Martinez covers sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at jmartinez@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @JTheSportsDude. Support Justin’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
