That said, the Thunder should prefer the Clippers to move on to Round 2. Leonard and Harden are a scary duo to face, but OKC is equipped with the right perimeter defenders to slow them down. Zubac has had a career season, but Hartenstein is the perfect counterpart against him on the boards and inside the paint.

As has seemingly become customary for this Thunder squad, it’ll have an abnormal amount of time to burn off the chocolate chips and snickerdoodles. The conference semifinals have long been slated to begin May 5-6,