Everyone who continues to doubt the Thunder will look foolish when they raise the trophy in June

[bisme37]

This Thunder group feels destined to win a title or two but they haven't been past the 2nd round yet. So if I'm wrong I will find out soon enough haha, but I think they are still a year or two away. You don't develop a championship mindset until you get there and understand what that entails.

SGA played like a champ last year. Any other analysis is like saying Joker didn't have champ DNA when he was dominating the playoffs between 2020-22 but had no help. It's more a question of whether the other guys can step up. Also, they were able to fill the very clear holes from last year's team. Healthy, this is a juggernaut.

I still think being good enough to do it, and actually having the learned experience of knowing how to do it, are two different things. Winning it all is the grindiest mental and physical grind and it's hard to manage without prior experience of going through the wringer a few times. But again, if I'm wrong I'm about to find out.

[Jta444]

Lebron Luka Reaves will run circles around them. Thunder are a running team with young players more suited for regular season play. But when the game slows down in half court setting, i dont see SGA beating Lebron AND Luka in a 7 game series

The Lakers have more personnel like Vanderbilt and DFS who can stop SGA vs the other way around. Thunder only have Dort vs Lebron/Luka/Reaves. Too much firepower imo

[bbms]

Lebron Luka Reaves will run circles around them. Thunder are a running team with young players more suited for regular season play. But when the game slows down in half court setting, i dont see SGA beating Lebron AND Luka in a 7 game series

The Lakers have more personnel like Vanderbilt and DFS who can stop SGA vs the other way around. Thunder only have Dort vs Lebron/Luka/Reaves. Too much firepower imo

[Exp0sed]

well, if we're being real - only a healthy Boston team has a good shot to beat OKC and i'd take OKC in that series if I had to bet

maybe, if Austin Reaves can keep playing like a star -the Luka & Lebron Lakers out West have a good shot too. I can't see any other team beating a healthy OKC team in a 7 games series. i'd be kinda shocked if OKC or Boston don't win it this season tbh

[bbms]

idk okc should just steamroll the lakers, sweep not being out of question. really poor matchup they are smaller, slower, less physical, can't outhustle. do they have any tangible thing on the thunder? really hoping for doncic miracles to win a game or other

real threats to okc in the west are gsw, denver and maybe minnesota

[Patches Perry]

I hate this thread.

[Ssj16]

Thunder Lakers Celtics


One of these teams. Who knows.

Agreed. Definitely either the Celtics, Cavs, Thunder, or Knicks.

Lol, Knicks have done nothing this season to prove they belong with top 3 teams in the NBA nor do they have championship-level player in Lebron or a top 5 player in the Luka.

Lakers most certainly have a more serious chance at winning the Finals than the Knicks, even if their chances are lower than the top teams.

[Buckeye-NBAFan]

Lebron Luka Reaves will run circles around them. Thunder are a running team with young players more suited for regular season play. But when the game slows down in half court setting, i dont see SGA beating Lebron AND Luka in a 7 game series

The Lakers have more personnel like Vanderbilt and DFS who can stop SGA vs the other way around. Thunder only have Dort vs Lebron/Luka/Reaves. Too much firepower imo

Seems improbable that the 14th ranked defense in the league is stacked with defensive stoppers, and the 1st ranked defense in the league only has 1 guy who can defend anyone playing the 1-4 positions

[Ssj16]

I also think this is an unnecessary thread. I feel that the Thunder are getting the right amount of respect and I personally have them behind Boston as the favourite to win it all.

My apprehension is, more often than not a team that has not suffered playoff battle wounds usually doesn't win it all right away and experience usually wins out.

I know OKC made it to the second round last year, which is great experience but Boston has a crap ton of experience with its core. And if OKC makes it to the finals, it's not a given that they will automatically win it all on their first try there.

Just ask 2012 OKC how their first and only finals went with the core of KD, Harden, Westbrook and Ibaka.

[bbms]

Lebron Luka Reaves will run circles around them. Thunder are a running team with young players more suited for regular season play. But when the game slows down in half court setting, i dont see SGA beating Lebron AND Luka in a 7 game series

The Lakers have more personnel like Vanderbilt and DFS who can stop SGA vs the other way around. Thunder only have Dort vs Lebron/Luka/Reaves. Too much firepower imo

Seems improbable that the 14th ranked defense in the league is stacked with defensive stoppers, and the 1st ranked defense in the league only has 1 guy who can defense anyone playing the 1-4 positions

personally i have dort as the 7th best defensive player on the thunder

[ryan in Maine]

Lebron Luka Reaves will run circles around them. Thunder are a running team with young players more suited for regular season play. But when the game slows down in half court setting, i dont see SGA beating Lebron AND Luka in a 7 game series

The Lakers have more personnel like Vanderbilt and DFS who can stop SGA vs the other way around. Thunder only have Dort vs Lebron/Luka/Reaves. Too much firepower imo

If the Celtics can solve Dort they can solve the Thunder.

[BigDan245]

The only team in the West that can beat them is Denver IMO....But I don't even know if Denver will make it out of the first round.

Cavs and Celtics would give them a run for their money. Still think OKC is the favorite when it's all said and done.

[Special_Puppy]

Everyone has the Thunder as inner circle contenders

[NO-KG-AI]

Having doubts about a young team that doesn’t have a history of winning titles isn’t foolish at all.

[cgf]

Thunder Lakers Celtics


One of these teams. Who knows.

Agreed. Definitely either the Celtics, Cavs, Thunder, or Knicks.

Lol, Knicks have done nothing this season to prove they belong with top 3 teams in the NBA nor do they have championship-level player in Lebron or a top 5 player in the Luka.

Lakers most certainly have a more serious chance at winning the Finals than the Knicks, even if their chances are lower than the top teams.

lol maybe when the lakers get a big man this summer they’ll have a chance to get out of round 1…although since they’re in the west, they may sneak through to round two.