End of Hero Ball Era? ’15 Puppets’ OKC Triumph Proves Superstars Wrong

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder have booked their ticket to the NBA Finals. They won the Western Conference Finals, defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 4-1, and proved that OKC’s regular-season form was not a fluke.

In the first round, they battled against an injury-riddled Memphis Grizzlies. That is why they could easily sweep them 4-0. But in the second round, they met the 2023 champion, the Denver Nuggets, who gave them a fright and pushed the series to seven games.

But at the end, the Thunder proved that they were a team willing to accept their mistakes, learn where they went wrong, and fix them at the next opportunity. They managed to make 3-time league MVP Nikola Jokic look mid-tier by his standards by the time they were done defeating the Nuggets.

Against the Timberwolves, it was a different challenge. They knew that they were going to have just one day’s rest before battling a team who were resting their bodies for five days. OKC’s young squad overcame that lack of rest and also stifled the in-form Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle to take the series lead.

Even after Edwards led a stunning Game 3 win, the Thunder were unfazed. They knew what they had to do and came back to clinch Game 4. Then in Game 5, they proved that as a team, they are the best in the league. Let us see what makes them tick and why many tip them to be the next NBA champions.

15 puppets on a string

After Game 5 ended, Anthony Edwards and his teammates first took to their seats at the post-game press conference. While analyzing and detailing what they could not do, the young Olympic gold medal winner summed up how their opponents were throughout the Western Conference Finals.

He compared the Oklahoma City Thunder to 15 puppets being controlled by one string. What he meant is that every single player on that roster was playing the role they were assigned, all for the common goal. Not a single player deviated from their task and performed their roles to the T.

This approach meant that as a team, OKC was united towards a singular goal. Even if Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the primary superstar, the others were not left to sulk in a corner. Every role player had a defined task, and whenever they did their task well, their teammates, coaches, and the front office were there to applaud.

That brings a sense of belonging that many players want. Salaries and endorsements are all good and dandy. But if they get a pat on their backs, and they win by doing so, the competitor in them is generally happy. This approach has seen them triumph in a league where importance is usually given to superstars.

OKC as a team vs superstar first rosters

The Oklahoma City Thunder once had the likes of Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Paul George, Carmelo Anthony, and a few others grace their building. The first three managed to help the team reach the NBA Finals once before.

But they could not get over the hump and slowly, the team started to disintegrate. The primary reason was that superstars wanted their time to shine, and when they felt that another was getting prime space on television, their ego set in.

While building this version of the Thunder, GM Sam Presti ensured he was getting hold of players who did not have massive egos to fill. He brought in players who wanted to be a part of something good and were willing to take the necessary pay cuts to feel wanted and appreciated.

That was evident whenever members of the media approached an OKC player for an interview. Whichever player was called to the mic, the rest would stand around him. The message was clear, they wanted their success to be a team victory, and not just that of one player.

It is a major shift from the approach every other team does, where the best players on that night get interviewed, while the others make their way to the locker room. It is not the media’s fault for wanting to speak with one or two superstars, as that is what draws ratings. But OKC was in no mood for that this season, and that decision has reaped benefits.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and OKC want to win NBA title as a team

Before Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won his first regular-season MVP award, some critics pointed out that the Oklahoma City Thunder could win games even without their most important superstar. But the Western Conference Finals proved that, despite having a team-first approach, they still need a snake to unleash their venom.

SGA is that snake, and the way he plays helps OKC figure out how to bring in its other players to impact certain facets of the game. If he does not go out and get his 30 points and 7 assists a night, their opponents will look to stifle the rest of the team.

In the regular season, their opponents might not go as hard as they want against those other players. But in playoff mode, that can have disastrous results. However, the team does not play hero ball, and SGA’s penchant to draw fouls is part of their game plan.

SGA hardly takes game-winning shots, as by then, either OKC is winning or losing. If they are in a close game scenario, they lean on the team to get them out of the mess. That was evident in Game 4, where they executed a plan to perfection, leaving the Minnesota Timberwolves trying to still grasp how OKC executed that plan.

These are the reasons some analytical members of the media believe the Thunder would win their first-ever NBA title. If they do end up winning the championship, then it will be because of their team-first approach and not hero ball that has been prevalent throughout the NBA’s history.

Also Read:

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• LeBron James Dumbfounded by NBA’s ‘Eye in the Sky’ Camera that Caught His Foul on Anthony Edwards