NBA execs debate five questions on Spurs-Thunder: ...

Hype for the NBA's Western Conference finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs has come from across the league. "This is the Finals," a West assistant coach told ESPN. "This has a chance to go down as one of the best series of the past decade," an Eastern Conference executive said. "This is the start of [another] Magic vs. Bird," a West scout said. Yes, Spurs-Thunder, a collision course of the league's two best teams that's felt months in the making, is here. These two teams have stood atop the league for most of the season. They have two of the top three candidates for Most Valuable Player -- Thunder guard and back-to-back winner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, who seems ready to assume his place as the sport's dominant force as soon as next week. Both stars have dynamic talents surrounding them -- Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren for the Thunder; De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle for the Spurs -- not to mention other players emerging into starring roles in these playoffs, such as Ajay Mitchell for OKC and Dylan Harper for San Antonio. It's a series that should have it all. And, to properly prepare, we talked to 10 league insiders -- a sampling of coaches, scouts and executives -- to take you inside the matchups to watch in Monday's Game 1 (8:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock) and beyond. (Of those 10, eight picked Oklahoma City to win the series.) For all the understandable attention paid to Wembanyama, this was the topic most frequently mentioned throughout conversations over the weekend. And for good reason, as San Antonio's De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper will see waves of All-Defense-caliber pressure from Luguentz Dort. And Alex Caruso. And Cason Wallace. "How do they combat it?" a West assistant coach said. "Can they handle the 48 minutes of that suffocating defense?" Throughout their run, the Thunder have thrived on winning the possession game. They rarely turn the ball over, thanks to Gilgeous-Alexander's brilliance, and they also turn their opponents over in bunches. Creating turnovers will also prevent the Spurs from sitting back in a set defense and allowing perhaps the most feared defender in NBA history a chance to impact every single possession. "No matter what your roster is, you have to take care of the ball [against Oklahoma City], because if you don't it's automatic points," the assistant coach said. "If the Spurs can set their defense with the personnel and coaching they have, they can guard OKC. But they can't guard them if they are turning the ball over. That's a huge piece of the puzzle and that's the first thing I'm looking for." Perhaps most impressive about San Antonio's ascension is the development of Castle and Harper, even from series to series. But the Portland Trail Blazers and Minnesota Timberwolves defenses didn't feature this level of versatility. "Harper has been awesome, but OKC is a whole different beast. Against most teams, including Portland and Minnesota, there's an ability to get switched into a favorable matchup," a West executive said. "There's nobody to target on Oklahoma City." One East assistant coach might have summed it best: "Shai is f---ing good, but he ain't a cheat code." On one side of these West finals is Gilgeous-Alexander, who averaged 31.4 points per game and whose 55.3% shooting just shattered the NBA single-season record for a guard averaging 30 points. On the other side is the aforementioned 7-foot-5 cheat code. "What does OKC do to score around Victor's defense? To me, that's the biggest question of the series," a West scout said. "Watching Minnesota in the last series, seeing guys not even thinking about getting a shot up and looking to pass before they even jump, it's a testament to his greatness ... it goes against every instinct you have as a player." How can the Thunder limit Wemby's effectiveness? Two East executives shared how OKC could make things tougher on Wembanyama: "Make Wemby guard on the perimeter and in transition. If the game slows down, he's too effective. You have to run him and put him in actions over and over." "Get into his body with screening and post ups and neutralize his ability to be a help defender." There's also the game within the game. Can Isaiah Hartenstein, a critical player for Oklahoma City across the past two seasons, stay on the court when Wembanyama is out there, or will he eventually be reduced to a smaller role? And, if he is, what will happen when the Thunder want to go small -- something they've often turned to when their backs are against the wall in the past to only further amplify their ability to create havoc and turnovers? "I will be curious to see if the Spurs can get those bigs in foul trouble," said an Eastern Conference scout. "That could be a major factor for them. "In years' past, when the Thunder want to bring a curveball to the series, they go small, and that will not work." Another strategic point to watch is what

NBA execs debate five questions on Spurs-Thunder: ...

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