Carter Bryant presented a major challenge the Thunder weren't prepared for

The Spurs' rookies never cease to amaze me. Dylan Harper got the start tonight and posted 24 points, six assists, and seven steals. While Carter Bryant's stat line didn't look nearly as impressive, he was still a wrecking machine on the defensive side of the floor.

It's not often that one of your best point-of-attack defenders is an inexperienced 20-year-old playing in the first postseason of his career. But here we are. Mitch Johnson trusted Bryant and awarded him with some huge minutes, and he did exactly what he needed to do.

Carter's an agitator who was drafted based on his two-way upside, and the Spurs' front office envisioned that he'd become an all-world defender. He's not totally there yet, but we saw flashes of that tonight.

Carter Bryant did a number on the MVP

It's not easy being a rookie getting the tall task of guarding a reigning two-time MVP who's gone scorched earth offensively all year long. Shai's been terrorizing defenders on a nightly basis, so Bryant's work was cut out for him.

And it's safe to say that he stepped up to the plate. Carter harassed SGA when they matched up, closing his airspace and using his 6'11" wingspan to disrupt shot attempts and obscure passing angles.

He took advantage of his 14 minutes of playing time, giving us a masterclass in one-on-one defense, some of the best he's played all year long. The numbers show it as well. When someone is +10 on the floor with just three points, it's easy to understand the impact they made defensively. His stops turned into much-needed scoring opportunities for the Spurs.

Does Carter Bryant replace Kornet in the series?

While Luke Kornet was an important asset off the bench for the Spurs this season, he's had some questionable moments in the playoffs. That was also the reality tonight as he was -9 in his minutes, and the Thunder had no issue putting him in several actions and attacking him as a defender.

Carter Bryant could offer up a lot more resistance as a small-ball five. We've seen Mitch Johnson experiment with that a few times this postseason, and the best example was in Game 3 of the first round against Portland.

The rookie had some great defensive moments in Wemby's absence that night. He went +15 on the floor and blocked three shots, playing his part in stifling the Blazers' offense

In the playoffs, no stone should be unturned when you're trying to win. Carter Bryant's been stepping up to big challenges all postseason long, so adding on some more minutes with him as a small-ball center isn't a crazy ask.

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