Matt Pinto: Thunder’s depth key to disrupting Pacers

Through this regular season, we've talked to Matt Pinto, who knows Thunder basketball as its radio play-by-playman.

Dean Blevins sat down with Pinto to talk about the Thunder making it to finals.

Matt Pinto: I'm great. This is just so exciting. I mean, you go back to 2012. Last time it happened, and for this team to have earned this opportunity, the city's on fire, it's going to be a terrific series, I think.

Dean Blevins: How much is it? Halliburton versus Gilgeous-Alexander?

Matt Pinto: I think that that's easy to sort of diagnose from this jump. I think the Thunder's depth dealing with Halliburton, the physicality they'll utilize against him, I think he can be disrupted, and that's going to be the Thunder's tour in this game.

Dean Blevins: And they did that in the regular season, the two times.

Matt Pinto: They sure did. Really. The last two seasons, he's averaged 12 points a game against them in the in the last four times he's met OKC.

The Thunder have seven of the top 10 defensive rated players in the playoffs. Team numbers 1 and 2 are Caruso and Wallace off the bench. That tells you the strength in numbers. It's not just Dort, it's not just Shai, but the guys coming in in reserve. It's not just double among starters. The guys in reserve really bring an extra element that I think Indiana is going to struggle to deal with.

Dean Blevins: His team will play fast. Speaking of the Pacers. They will play fast, they will get up shots, they will make threes, or will they? That's a big thing. But they're a good three-point shooting team. Heck, you got the number one offense in the league against the number one defense.

Matt Pinto: Yeah. And Indiana, during the course of their playoff run, has generated 24% wide open shots, which means it's not a defender in six feet of the guy.

Dean Blevins: So is there going to be enough? Is there going to be a continuation of that percentage?

Matt Pinto: Well, that's what the Thunder got to make certain doesn't happen. They can't allow this team that many open looks or else this team is going to play the way it likes to play in its element and give itself a chance to win this series. Thunder has to be disruptive from the start. Lay claim to home court advantage from the start of the series. I think in order to put themselves in. The driver's seat.

Dean Blevins: What other key element do you see in this one?

Matt Pinto: Well, I think that the Thunder have to find a way offensively to make Indiana dig in and defend. It takes some starch out of their own offense, which I think is really an unsung aspect of the series. The Thunder are right there.

With them at 117 a game during the playoffs, Indiana is averaging like 3/10 of a point more. It's not like OKC is not generating points cause they are at a high volume. They've won games at home by 24 1/2 a night. If they can put Indiana in a position the Pacers have to defend and that I, as I said, I think will take something away from what they want to do in generating pace offensively. They're really fast. They move the ball quickly, think they'll be an adjustment period for the Thunder to begin this series, to get locked in where they dig in defensively. But I think once that happens, we'll see how it unfolds. I like the Thunder's depth in this series a lot, especially the way they defend. With that depth.

Dean Blevins: And Indiana is deep, but not the quality we think. But what do you think about Siakam and how Oklahoma City will defend it?

Matt Pinto: Well, the one thing we saw from him in the Knicks series is you don't want to. Let him go. Over his left shoulder when he's drifting left, that's when he's most impactful. The Thunder got to take that away from him, make him go. Might make him generate shots off the dribble. That's not his strong suit. I think the dub match up with him is ideal. Jalen is athletic enough, he's strong enough to get into the base of Siakam and force him to generate his points again off the dribble under duress.

Dean Blevins: The Thunder defensively and offensively, to a degree, their season ended last year prematurely. Because of a lack of big men. Hartenstein's here, you got your deep at center. That seems to be an advantage in this one where you go in looking for a rebound advantage and other size advantages among those in size.

Matt Pinto: Yeah, rebounding is not an Indiana strength. They were beaten badly on their defensive board by the Knicks and the eastern final extending that series to six games. I think the Thunder can make some money going to get their own missed shots. I think the Thunder, also in this series, if they impose their physical will, will put Indiana in a position of playing under duress at a higher level than we've seen.