Thunder Host Spurs in the Battle of Two Underperformers
Two of the most underperforming teams in the NBA right now are the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder. They face each other on Saturday night, in a matchup that is sure to be intriguing for those watching, and one that has very important playoff implications for them.
Both the Spurs and the Thunder are in a playoff spot right now, and look like they will hang on to one, however they should be performing much better than they are. The Spurs are missing Kawhi Leonard of course, but they should be doing better than they are right now, even without their star. The Thunder brought in Carmelo Anthony last summer in an attempt to freshen up their attack and make a move towards the top of the Western Conference. While Anthony has played pretty well, he hasn’t been enough to lift the Thunder up to where they would like to be, which has to be disappointing for the coaching staff and the fans.
As I said, both should get in the playoffs, but right now they will both be looking behind them to see who is lurking in the wings. Teams like Denver, Utah and the Lakers are all trying their best to make the playoffs, and both of these two could do with a win here to create a gap to the rest.
Out of the two teams, it is the Spurs who are struggling the most right now and for that reason, I am more than happy to back the Thunder here. While the Thunder are not flying right now, they do have a winning record in their last ten games, which is far superior to what we have seen from the Spurs since the turn of 2018.
If either wants to make a splash and win in the playoffs they must show more, but based on what they are doing right now, the Thunder are showing a little more and they are the pick. They can win this game by roughly six to 10 points, to keep their challengers at bay and their playoff position safe for now.
There is a danger that one of these two will miss the playoffs, and that adds further importance to this game, with a valuable win the reward for the team who produces the goods out on the court.
