Mitch Johnson has too many levers left for one night to make OKC uncatchable

Overreactions are in full swing, Spurs Nation. San Antonio lost their first of 82 games last night, so Bill Simmons believes OKC is the better team and that the Silver and Black are incapable of catching them this year. That doesn't make too much sense considering he claims the Thunder's roster is only *this* much better right now, so let's slow our rolls.

"Everything I saw tonight reinforced what I thought going into the season. That OKC is the team to beat, and San Antonio caught them last year, and I don't think they're going to catch them again." Bill Simmons

The Spurs' loss was a revenge win for OKC

Simmons started his soliloquy by suggesting Oklahoma City was on a mission last night. When a good team gets beat in the playoffs, and their first game of the following season is against the rivals who embarrassed them on their home floor in a Game 7, there's an extra layer of motivation.

As the Podfather said himself, they clearly had "the matchup circled all summer."

The Thunder's focus was razor-sharp, and that's hard to overcome on an opening night the other side is using for experimentation. OKC shot 52.2% from the field and 71.4% from three in the first half.

That's months-long, built-up adrenaline and focus spilling onto the floor at San Antonio's expense. It's not indicative of how anyone should expect them to shoot against the Spurs' defense if they were to meet in another seven-game series, and if you believe Victor Wembanyama will shoot 1-13 in those moments, I have a breakfast taco from 7/11 to sell you.

Mitch Johnson isn't married to this starting five

We have a very long way to go before getting to a potential playoff meeting. The Silver and Black are using the 82-game marathon to try something that everyone knows they'll struggle with in the beginning.

The Thunder will get better around the margins as the season goes on, too, but the Spurs are the ones doubling down on unconventional methods. It's going to take them more time to adjust. And if they can't figure out how to work that small-ball lineup to their advantage, Mitch Johnson will make a change.

I don't believe he'll stubbornly allow the team to fall off a cliff because everyone wants to start. Putting Julian Champagnie back in place or giving Tobias Harris the nod are still available options for San Antonio's decision-maker.

Johnson has time, and he has answers. It was the first game of a long season, so nothing is set in stone. The Thunder are a great team, and beating them with a new, unorthodox look was always going to be difficult. That doesn't mean San Antonio can't close what Simmons admits is a miniature-sized gap. How asinine.

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