3 key matchups to monitor for Magic vs Thunder

In addition to going 6-0 for the first time since moving to the Southwest in 2008, the OKC Thunder became the first team in NBA history to win each of their first six games by at least twelve points. Can they extend the streak against an Orlando Magic team that features Paolo Banchero and possibly Wendell Carter Jr. miss?

In order to do this, there are three key matchups that will play a major role in their attempts to achieve such a goal.

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Magic’s guards

The Thunder’s offense still runs through Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and he faces a tough game here on Monday night. Jalen Suggs and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope form one of the best guard tandems in the NBA in terms of perimeter defense. Orlando also has Anthony Black come off the bench so they can throw disruptive defenders at SGA all game long.

According to Cleaning the Glass, OKC is scoring an abysmal 108.2 points per 100 possessions this season when their superstar is rested. If they don’t get productive minutes from him, the offense here could be extremely ugly.

2. Jalen Suggs vs. Thunder’s guards

In Orlando’s first game after Paolo Banchero’s oblique injury, Jalen Suggs picked up the offensive slack by scoring 28 points and dishing out seven assists. The Magic desperately need this level of production from the former lottery pick to run a somewhat competent offense until their All-Star returns.

Lu Dort, Alex Caruso, and Cason Wallace will all likely make them a little difficult to reach.

Because of their brilliance, the Thunder pick-and-roll ballhandlers are holding themselves to a paltry 0.44 points per possession. For context, the Mavericks currently check in with the second-best mark at 0.7 points per possession.

It also doesn’t hurt that Chet Holmgren was able to erase mistakes in the basket for this hyper-elite Thunder defense.

Should Oklahoma City completely stifle Suggs’ scoring and playmaking, it’s hard to imagine the Magic could keep up the pace barring an unusually stellar 3-point shooting night.

3. Chet Holmgren’s home defense

Franz Wagner relies on slashing to make a huge impact, and the Magic are shooting just 32.3 percent on triples. In other words, Orlando needs to find success in the paint.

Chet Holmgren has the chance to be a real game wrecker here. He leads the league in blocks per game and ranks second in shots contested per game. Another excellent defensive performance from the budding star would likely put an end to Orlando’s offense.

Wendell Carter Jr.’s outside shooting could pull Holmgren out of the ring at times, though he is in the midst of a slump and has shot just 2-for-14 at home through five games. Plus, he could miss the game anyway with a foot injury, so the big could be a non-factor anyway.

In short, look for Holmgren to be the X-factor for the Thunder in this matchup.