People need to stop taking OKC's 4-0 regular season sweep of the Spurs out context

[will_spurs]

so OKC is still 2-0 even without Chimp

As if Westbrook had ever beaten anybody anyway.

If I could pick between Westbrook and Ibaka to be injured, I'd pick Ibaka 100% of the time. Who cares about whether Westbrook is a better player than Ibaka? The thing is, Ibaka is a real match-up problem, not Westbrook.

I think people really underestimate the value of Ibaka and his shot-blocking (or goaltending). Ibaka keeps Parker out of the paint, and that alone means the Spurs offense stalls.

Westbrook is a better player, but when it comes to the Spurs and the match-ups, Ibaka is the #1 thorn in the Spurs' side.

[rascal]

Exactly. The Spurs had dominated the OKC matchup prior to the 2012 WCF. In fact, one ESPN article even called the Spurs OKC's "kryptonite." Look how that turned out in the playoffs.

People tend to overrate regular season matchups. But there is no evidence that regular season success against one team correlates to winning against them in the playoffs.

The trend does indicate if a team sweeps another then they also beat them in the playoffs.

[ducks]

kia did not play 2 times and manu did not play in one of the matches
splitter was out also and
one spurs were on back to back and 5 out of 7 nights

[ErnestLynch]

You have to understand the mind of Pop to understand how meaningless that is. Either you get it, or you don't.

[sammy]

We've heard it ad nauseum in the print media, in TV shows, across social networking sites--the OKC Thunder swept the Spurs 4-0 in the regular season. Hence, they are a gigantic matchup nightmare of which the Spurs should be afraid.

But this fact is being taken highly out of context. OKC's regular-season sweep of the Spurs is not nearly as significant, when you consider the asterisks that can be attached to each game:

Game 1: OKC 94, SA 88 (Nov. 27, 2013)
*Our only legitimate loss in the entire series. But the game was played on the road, and it was way back in November, before the Spurs' machine truly started clicking.

Game 2: OKC 113, @SA 100 (Dec. 21, 2013)
*Kawhi Leonard was out for the game due to a dental procedure. Parker played through a shin bruise.

Game 3: OKC 111, @SA 105 (Jan. 22, 2014)
*Kawhi Leonard suffered a hand injury in the 2nd quarter and did not return. Danny Green and Tiago Splitter also did not play due to injury.

Game 4: OKC 106, @SA 94 (Apr. 3, 2014)
*On the road on the 2nd night of a back to back. Manu Ginobili was held out for rest.

Hence, to posit that OKC has the Spurs' number based on the regular season series is virtually meaningless. And yet, the media continues to bandy around this fact out of context, as if it proved that the Thunder are the Spurs' kryptonite.

Please, let's stop kidding ourselves and look at the facts. The Spurs are the better team, have home court advantage, and have been clicking on all cylinders ever since they were pushed to the brink by Dallas. Meanwhile, the Thunder's play of late has not nearly been as impressive. They only got this far due to a Zach Randolph suspension, questionable officiating, and an absurd amount of luck. And to top it all off, their 3rd best player and defensive ace is going to miss the entire series due to a calf injury.

Barring a major injury, there's no way OKC is going to win this series. So why do analysts (here and here) continue to predict otherwise?

Great post! Sick of hearing this crap from the media! They are so biased towards the thunderefs!

[will_spurs]

As if Westbrook had ever beaten anybody anyway.

If I could pick between Westbrook and Ibaka to be injured, I'd pick Ibaka 100% of the time. Who cares about whether Westbrook is a better player than Ibaka? The thing is, Ibaka is a real match-up problem, not Westbrook.

I think people really underestimate the value of Ibaka and his shot-blocking (or goaltending). Ibaka keeps Parker out of the paint, and that alone means the Spurs offense stalls.

Westbrook is a better player, but when it comes to the Spurs and the match-ups, Ibaka is the #1 thorn in the Spurs' side.

Bump.