Locked On Knicks - Daily Podcast On The New York Knicks
Locked On Knicks - Daily Podcast On The New York Knicks

The New York Knicks' Biggest Threat Might Be Scarier Than Ever With Locked On Thunder

August 12, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

The Thunder's Defensive Philosophy and the Ceiling Question

In the Western Conference Finals, the Oklahoma City Thunder lost a seven-game series to the San Antonio Spurs, and the defining takeaway from Ryland Stiles (Locked On Thunder) is not panic but calibration. The Thunder were missing key playmakers—Jalen Williams and AJ Mitchell were out—and lost by six points in Game 7. "If you have a better chance in a series that you lost in seven games and lost by six points, then you probably would have won the series," Stiles says. But he also identifies a persistent problem that has dogged Oklahoma City across multiple postseasons: three-point volume.

The Shooting Problem That Won't Go Away

The Thunder's offensive issue is not secondary creation, as the common narrative holds. Both Stiles and XJ (Locked On Knicks) argue the real bottleneck is shooting volume and willingness. "The lack of volume for OKC—they just cannot get three-point shots up in high volume," Stiles says. The Spurs, by contrast, have players "unafraid to shoot." Oklahoma City has "some guys that take two shots in a Game 7."

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (03:03) **Series Post-Mortem: Spurs vs. Thunder** - The hosts and Ryland Stiles debate whether a fully healthy Thunder would have beaten the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals.
  • 2 (08:07) **Defining the Issue: Secondary Creation vs. Shooting** - A debate on whether the Thunder's offensive stagnation stems from a lack of a second creator or a lack of high-volume shooting.
  • 3 (10:14) **The Thunder's Internal Solution to Shooting** - Ryland explains how the Thunder plan to address their shooting woes through internal development and a specific defensive philosophy.
  • 4 (15:52) **Warning Signs: The Defensive Philosophy of Conceding Corners** - A deep dive into the Thunder’s defensive strategy of allowing corner threes in exchange for rim protection and turnovers.
  • 5 (18:07) **The New Defensive Mechanism: Camping a Big in the Paint** - XJ and Ryland theorize that the Thunder will shift to a defense that funnels drivers to an elite rim protector in the paint.
  • 6 (20:15) **The Trust Factor: Why This Defense Works** - The psychological and cultural reasons the Thunder can execute a risky defensive scheme.
  • 7 (26:52) **The Psychological Battle of the Corner Three** - The mental challenge of letting a role player like Alex Caruso shoot wide-open threes and trusting the math.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

The Oklahoma City Thunder emerge as the New York Knicks’ biggest threat to an NBA title repeat, but does OKC have the shooting and playoff resilience needed to knock off the champs? Gavin Schall, XJ, and Rylan Stiles debate the Thunder’s evolving offense, spearheaded by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren, and break down how shooting volume, defensive schemes, and player health could decide a future Finals clash.

Key topics include Oklahoma City’s commitment to rim protection over traditional wing defense, the potential impact of losing Lou Dort and Isaiah Joe, and whether Jalen Williams or a potential trade for a sharpshooter like Trey Murphy could elevate the Thunder’s ceiling. The conversation also explores how organizational buy-in and playoff-tested cohesion give both the Knicks and Thunder a rare edge. Can Sam Presti’s unconventional roster construction outlast New York’s champion core?

Photo Credit: Vincent Carchietta - Imagn Images

Timestamps

00:00 Reflecting on Thunder vs Spurs series

06:37 NBA team dynamics discussion

08:24 Valuing and developing 3-point shooters

12:58 Discussing Oklahoma City's defense strategy

14:50 Defensive strategy and corner 3s

18:52 Thunder's defensive strategy and key players

23:03 Caruso's response to defensive pressure

25:14 Shooting strategy and team buy-in

30:52 Discussing Knicks Offseason Challenges

34:01 Thunder's playoff challenges and improvements

35:37 Improving SGA's Three-Point Game

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