How big is the gap? The Warriors offensive cards& and their defensive cards have distinct characteristics. The Thunder s offensive and defensive cards are difficult to target.

The Warriors lost to the Thunder 102-126, trailing by up to 36 points. The game completely lost suspense in less than three quarters.

What is even more frightening is that the three main rotations of Jaylen Way, Dortmund, and Wiggins did not play, and the Thunder destroyed the Warriors with a crushing force.

The defending champion is a mirror. In this battle, the Warriors basically understood the real gap between them and today's No. 1 team. The current complete Warriors and the Thunder, who are short of major generals, are not at the same level at all.

I believe everyone can see the helplessness of the Warriors on both offense and defense. Post and Curry were frequently named, and the Warriors either used double teams or zone defenses to protect them. If Alexander caught them, they would be given away. Kuminga, Dream Chaser, Butler, and Payton Jr. can defend but are not good at three-pointers. The four of them combined to make 1 of 6 three-pointers. The Thunder is also willing to let them draw wide-open three-pointers.

The Warriors' offensive and defensive cards are blown out, and their defensive cards are not good at shooting three-pointers. It is easy for the Thunder to arrange offense and defense based on the characteristics of Warriors players. On the other hand, the Thunder have many players who are both offensive and defensive. They can not only defend but also have shooting range to open up space. The Warriors are unable to attack the Thunder at every point of defense.

It’s not that the warriors don’t work hard, but this is the cruel gap in strength.

In a strong dialogue, the defending champion Thunder played a clear target on both offense and defense, pinching the Warriors' offensive and defensive weaknesses.

Coach Daignault took the initiative to adopt a mismatch defense, with Harten defending Dream Chaser and Holmgren facing Post. The reason is also simple. The dream-chasing three-pointer lacks stability. Harten can let go of his three-pointer and roam to help defend and sweep; Post cannot beat Holmgren in the low post and relies on one-handed long-range shots.

The uncomfortable thing about the Warriors' defensive end is that Curry and Post are unable to match Alexander at two points. The Thunder mainly plays Alexander in the pick-and-roll to call Curry/Post. The Warriors had no choice. In order to protect Post/Curry from being eaten by Alexander alone, they could only double-team Alexander and force the ball out - Mitchell made a wide open three-pointer and Harten dunked down. The Warriors' defense paid a heavy price for double-teaming Alexander.

The Warriors also tried to defend Alexander in pick-and-rolls, but the effect was disastrous: Alexander singled out Post from beyond the three-point line and retreated for a three-pointer; Alexander singled out Curry, knocked Curry away, and made an easy emergency stop jumper. Post and Curry's single defense against Alexander was really warm.

The Thunder played extremely smartly. Not only did Alexander pick and roll with the ball to find Post, Mitchell + Holmgren also named Post in the pick and roll. Holmgren bullied Post into 3-for-3 single defense and scored 7 points in a row. The huge gap in matchup ability almost drove Post to collapse.

The Thunder's starting group's game idea is simple and crude, naming Post and Curry endlessly. Once the Warriors flanked Alexander, the others started a 4-on-3 game. If they dared to defend alone, they would take advantage of each other, easily gaining the early advantage.

The difficulty for the Warriors is that they are not as balanced as the Thunder on offense and defense. The characteristics of offensive and defensive puzzles are too distinct, and high-end games are ruthlessly targeted.

The long-range shots of Kuminga, Dream Chasing, and Butler were not respected by the Thunder. The three three-pointers in the first half totaled 0 of 3 - few shots, low efficiency, and they had to rely on the sky for open shots. Even if they made a shot, they would continue to be missed.

The Thunder also deliberately left Post open to free up manpower for Curry to increase defensive intensity in pick-and-rolls and passes. Coach Daignault knew that their defense could not be comprehensive. He prevented Curry from being double-teamed in the pick-and-roll, and allowed Post to shoot a three-pointer. He encouraged the Warriors to start attacking at the weakest point to end the offense.

Post made 1 of 4 three-pointers in the first half. Once he was unable to punish his opponents stably, his defense on the court was almost negative.

The Warriors are helpless. Kuminga, Dream Chasing, Butler, and Payton can defend but they are all semi-shooters who can be left open. Post, Curry, Richard, and Hield can shoot but are targeted defensively on the court. It is too easy to distinguish the players in the Warriors lineup who are strong in offense and weak in defense or weak in defense and shooting. Opponents can easily find the weaknesses in offense and defense based on the Warriors' formation.

Looking back at the Thunder, there are many players in the lineup who are capable of both offense and defense. From ace Alexander to Jaylin Way at the end of the rotation, they all have shooting and defense. The defending champion has terrifying depth and balance in the lineup.

This is also the intuitive gap between the Warriors and the Thunder. In terms of the comprehensiveness of offense and defense, the Thunder lineup has a unique advantage.

The Thunder once established a lead of more than 20 points in the second quarter, and completely dominated the Warriors in the third quarter.

The Thunder's defensive resources are too exaggerated, and both Butler and Curry struggled extremely.

The 22-year-old 3D lock Wallace consumes Curry in hand-to-hand combat, and Alexander mainly defends Butler. These two sets of matchups almost choke the Warriors' dual-core attack. There is also a top 3D Caruso on the bench at any time. He can switch to guard positions 1-4!

The most frightening thing is that the Thunder's perimeter defenders have the ability to make three-pointers that cannot be left open. This is also a trait that the Warriors' defensive team such as Chai Meng and Payton Jr. obviously do not possess. In other words, the Thunder's balanced and comprehensive lineup configuration makes their game easier than the Warriors.

All members of the Thunder are ready to fight. Even with Jaylen Way, Dortmund, Wiggins, and Kenway missing, they still used an 11-man rotation, which was terrifying.

The core of the Warriors is older, and the characteristics of the Jigsaw players are too distinct. The entire lineup only struggled for less than three quarters against the remnants of the defending champion. There is indeed a gap between the two teams.

If the Warriors want to win, they need to play a perfect game. The defensive team must be able to score lucky three-pointers. Curry and Butler must be the two main players to attack the tough situation without straining their hips. But facing the defending champion Thunder, you can imagine how difficult it is, especially in a best-of-seven series, the Warriors' fault tolerance is far less than that of the Thunder.

Modern basketball emphasizes the balance of offense and defense, and also competes with the overall quality of all players. This is the scary thing about the defending champion.