Spurs' impact on OKC's recent struggles goes deeper than exposing a blueprint

The Spurs have completely eradicated the mystique surrounding OKC. The Thunder are 6-6 in their last 12 games, and the slide started on December 13 in Las Vegas, Nevada, when the Spurs took a torch to the defending champions' 16-game winning streak in Victor Wembanyama's first game back from a 12-game absence—in limited minutes off the bench, mind you.

The first thing you heard after the Silver and Black knocked off their rivals one state north was that the blueprint had been found. But that suggests everyone has three big, physical guards who can handle OKC's perimeter pressure or a 7'5" extraterrestrial patrolling the paint to make them hesitate when they breach the paint. Obviously, that's not the case. It's actually much simpler than that.

The Spurs' mental edge over OKC has rubbed off

Oklahoma City was winning the psychological game against teams before they stepped onto the floor. Minnesota's head coach, Chris Finch, should also get a little credit here. It seems that ever since he went off in the media about how the referees were officiating Shai Gilgeous-Alexander versus how everyone else was treated, the zebras have given teams a more even whistle.

That's leveled the playing field to a degree because, since then, OKC has lost the free-throw line battle, and their fans are on social media websites crying for whistles. They're bursting at the seams because they're actually not supremely talented, but after they won a championship in the same year as SGA won MVP, they were crowned as the next great dynasty. Not so fast.

Outside of Shai, they don't have any stars on that team, and San Antonio went into those games unafraid of their weapons. In the Christmas Day game, they left Alex Caruso completely open in the corner to shoot threes unimpeded, and he couldn't make them pay.

Nobody backed down from Lu Dort or any of their allegedly tough players, and it was just a basketball game. Even their fans know there's been a shift since the Spurs came through like a wrecking ball.

The Spurs are a very good team. They're a legitimate title contender. But they're still a young squad, and seeing that a fairly inexperienced group gave belt to rear on the defending champs three times within two weeks completely changed how everyone sees them.

The intimidation factor has been erased. They don't play an impenetrable style of defense, and their offense can be contained with discipline. The rest of the league has realized that and is acting accordingly. I mean, the Hornets beat them by nearly 30 points last night. If that doesn't scream, "We're not afraid anymore," I don't know what does.