The Oklahoma City Thunder were considered an also-ran coming into the 2019-20 season. After getting demolished by Portland in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs, Paul George and Russell Westbrook left for greener pastures over the summer. That left Billy Donovan to rebuild around the pieces acquired from the loss of those two players, but somehow the Thunder were still one of the best teams in the conference. Donovan was subsequently named co-NBA Coach of the Year alongside Mike Budenholzer on Monday, and his Thunder will take on the Los Angeles Lakers this week. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 5, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.
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Head-To-Head Results to Date
Donovan and the Thunder are hoping that the fourth time is the charm. They have yet to beat the Lakers in three previous tries this season, losing back-to-back games against them in late November and falling again in mid-January. Oklahoma City has improved a lot since November though, as this team needed some time to develop chemistry with so many new pieces.
Injury Report
Avery Bradley will not be participating in the remainder of the season, and Rajon Rondo is unlikely to play until the playoffs after fracturing his thumb a month ago. LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Kyle Kuzma are all listed as probable, but all three should be good to go provided they aren’t injured in Monday night’s game against Utah.
Isaiah Roby has been lost for the season due to a foot injury, but Andre Roberson played his first game in over two and a half years on Saturday. Roberson didn’t play much, but it was great to see him on the court considering his repeated injuries and long recovery times.
Game Preview
It’s certainly been a rewarding season for Chris Paul. CP3 was essentially given up on by Houston, and some observers even thought he had the worst contract in the league. More than a few analysts believed he would just ride out his contract in Oklahoma City, but he has looked rejuvenated and impassioned by the disrespect. Paul is the key to this team, averaging 17.7 PPG and 6.8 APG, while looking like the CP3 of old at times.
Paul isn’t the only player outperforming expectations though. Dennis Schroder has been a phenomenal sixth man, and both Danilo Gallinari and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have had great seasons. Schroder can get hot off the bench, averaging 18.9 PPG, while Gilgeous-Alexander is developing into a perennial All-Star. SGA led the team by averaging 19.3 PPG this year, and he does a good job of creating his own shots.
The Lakers will be led by James and Davis for as long as those two superstars are part of the Lake Show. James wasn’t spectacular in his first game back against the Clippers, but he took over late to win that game and bring his team closer to clinching the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference Playoffs.
As for Davis, he looks a bit rusty. He was a bit off against the Clippers in the opener, and he really struggled against Toronto on Saturday night, taking just seven shots all night. Davis has the tools to punish the Thunder down low though, so he has the potential to drop 35 points if he is on his game.
X-Factor
The key to the Lakers’ playoff hopes this season is their backcourt. Without Rondo, the team is asking Dion Waiters and Alex Caruso to play significant minutes, and at least one of those two players need to emerge. Waiters is fearless when it comes to his irrational confidence, but that isn’t always a good thing.
Prediction
This is a nice spot to bet the Lakers, as they will likely only be laying five or six points against the Thunder barring injury concerns.
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