How will OKC stop Giannis? Bucks vs. Thunder NBA Cup Final Preview | Kevin O’Connor Show

Kevin is first joined by NBA expert Andrew Schlecht to dive deep into the Oklahoma City Thunder’s impressive 20-5 start to the season and their upcoming challenge against the revamped Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA cup final. With Giannis Antetokounmpo looming as a major test for the Thunder’s top-tier defense, Andrew explains how OKC plans to handle the Greek Freak by committee, with key contributions from Lu Dort and Alex Caruso. The duo also break down the Thunder’s unique style of play, including their small-ball strategy and the crucial impact of Isaiah Hartenstein’s screening and lob connections on offense. They discuss the vibes in Las Vegas and the growth of the event, and how the Thunder’s ultra-competitive guards will help fill in any gaps when Chet Holmgren returns. Plus, Andrew shares a story from his Oklahoma roots about winning a Shaq Phoenix Suns jersey through an unforgettable peanut butter competition.

00:00 – Intro
00:15 – How can Thunder defend Giannis?
4:40 – OKC’s multi-faceted style
10:40 – Vibes in Vegas, future of the NBA cup
28:35 – Andrew’s peanut butter Shaq story

Thanks for watching! Subscribe to the Yahoo Sports channel here ► http://bit.ly/YSportsYT

Follow us everywhere!
Our Site ► http://www.yahoosports.com
Instagram ► http://www.instagram.com/yahoosports
TikTok ► https://www.tiktok.com/@yahoosports
Snapchat ► https://www.snapchat.com/add/yahoosports
Twitter ► http://www.twitter.com/yahoosports
Facebook ► http://www.facebook.com/yahoosports

25 comments

  2. if OKC doesnt go big to counter Giannis..i will feast..
    Giannis is averaging a easy 30 pts in the last 4 games with middleton and Dame touching the ball more than him..

    Middleton has more assist with Giannis in 4 games than the rest of the Bucks team…except Dame…it will be LobCity if OKC doesn't go big..packing the paint means nothing if you dont have the size to stop the lob.

    the problem Giannis brings is hes too big for small players and too fast for big men…on top of that Bucks are the best team in the league from 3

  3. the way to beat the Bucks is by pushing the pace, chasing rebounds and 50/50 balls . Also, cause turnovers because we can be sloppy with bad passes and shakey point guard work. i'm a bucks fan and I'm the first to admit that we're slow and we don't have hands.

  6. I think the Bucks are gonna SMOKE OKC. They can get away with playing harteinstien 30 minutes vs the small ball style west……but there is NOBODY to try and even slow Giannis inside. Or keep Brook from just waiting in the paint. Bucks win easily 134-109

  13. Wait….this guy said if the Bucks put Giannis at the 5 OKC doesn't have to go big……but……you understand Giannis playing the 5 is milwaukee playing small no?

  15. AJ Mitchell getting meaningful minutes on this team as deep as the Thunder are, says how good he is. On another team, this guy would be challenging for ROTY as a second rounder.

  17. You cheese heads haven’t watch us at all. We are bringing the double fast and often. We rotate better than anyone. Your off players need 18-20 points. Dame and GA will be restricted.

  18. This game will come down to OKC’s 3PT conversions. OKC will ice Dame on the perimeter and double down on stopping Giannis on the block. OKC will frustrate the Bucks offense, but if they’re not capitalizing on the defensive effort with the open shooters then this will swing in the bucks favor. 114-102 OKC wins comfortably after a close game in the first half.

  19. I get Giannis is hard to stop not debating that at all but people in here talking like stopping SGA is a cake walk. He is literally Mr. Consistent he is giving 30 every night 😒😒😒

Leave a Reply