Donovan Mitchell admits the OKC Thunder are overly physical, but teams have to adapt

The Oklahoma City Thunder are the defending champions, so they are always favored to win games. That was not the case on Sunday when the Cleveland Cavaliers came into the matchup with a seven-game winning streak.

The Thunder were without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, so the Cavs were the favorites. That did not end up materializing in a win because the Thunder were victorious on the back of a well-rounded team effort and the signature OKC physical defense.

Mitchell urges teams to adjust to OKC's physicality

Over the past few seasons, the OKC Thunder have continued to improve as a team. Their physical approach to playing defense has become their biggest strength, as they lock down almost every team. Physicality goes a long way for them, as players like Lu Dort and Alex Caruso are quite effective.

Some people will complain that they are overly physical. The Thunder's players have built strong defensive reputations for themselves, which has led to referees allowing them to play with more physicality. This has irked a big part of the NBA because they often get away with fouls. 

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Cavaliers superstar Donovan Mitchell believes that the Thunder are a physical team. However, other teams must be aware of that heading into a matchup against the defending champions. He knows that OKC plays like that, so he wants his team to adjust to their matchup.

"Yeah, they foul. There’s no secret to that. At the end of the day, it's been a season and a half, and we keep saying the same thing. They’re not calling it, so it’s not a foul. It’s frustrating, but you just can’t let it get under your skin," Mitchell said about the Thunder's physicality being a huge factor.

While Mitchell dislikes that the Thunder can get away with being overly physical with their defense, he does not resent it. He wants to keep playing hard and prove that they can beat the Thunder, who are taking advantage of the referees' allowance for physicality.

Moving forward, the Cavaliers will continue to be one of the strongest teams in the league. They are a talented squad, especially with James Harden's arrival. This loss to the Thunder could be an eye-opener because the Cavaliers have the physical tools to match up well against the Thunder.

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