Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Oklahoma City Thunder look inevitable, but these eight NBA stars have the power to derail a potential dynasty and make the upcoming playoffs truly competiti
- Tyrese Maxey’s scoring, Anthony Edwards’ star power, and Nikola Jokic’s triple-double dominance represent the diverse threats standing in the way of an OKC titl
- The 2026 postseason will define the league's next era, determining if the Thunder's young core is truly ready to rule or if established veterans still hold the
The NBA season is coming to an end and the NBA playoffs are about to begin. But should we even be doing this? All we hear is how the Oklahoma City Thunder are inevitable. They secured the number-one seed in the Western Conference, and throughout the year, they proved to be by far the best team.
That’s what the headlines would have you believe. The odds have the Thunder just about even to win the title. There’s a little juice on the number, but there’s rarely a favorite that’s this high before the playoffs even start. Everyone is chasing the big dog, which plays in one of the smallest professional cities in sports.
Don’t tell the players this thing is pretty much decided. Play-in games are just a few days away, and the playoffs truly begin with the top eight. We’re about to embark on a two-month run to a title, and these eight players aren’t taking no for an answer. They’re ready to end the Thunder dynasty before it begins.
8. Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
There is going to be a team that comes out of nowhere this season, and it could very well come out of the Eastern Conference. Everyone at the top has serious flaws, even if they all look incredible at times. The teams at the bottom have multiple reasons to win a full series. We seriously considered making this LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets because their underlying numbers are amazing, but there’s something about the Philadelphia 76ers that draws us to pick them for the upset.
Obviously, former MVP Joel Embiid returning to form would be incredibly important to the 76ers’ chances this year, but he’s no longer the X-factor. That’s Tyrese Maxey, who has become one of the best players in the league. He is going to finish the season with around 28 points per game, six assists, and almost as many rebounds. He’s playing a great all-around game.
Maxey has one game against the Thunder this season, and he hit his season average for points. He shot a little over 55 percent from the field, but he was just 29 percent from three. If he’s able to go on a heater from behind the arc, then the 76ers can do just about anything. Obviously, the Thunder aspect of this wouldn’t come until the Finals. A lot would have to go right to get there, but if we have a Cinderella story on our hands, Philadelphia feels like a good bet.
7. Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are having a strange season. They haven't been the top contender many thought they'd be by now, settling in as a six seed in a stacked Western Conference. Anthony Edwards also hasn't taken the jump many thought was coming two years ago. He's still a superstar, but he was expected to be in that upper echelon, and just slightly a step below the Shai Gilgeous-Alexanders and Nikola Jokices right now. However, there are reasons to believe the Timberwolves and Edwards can turn it on in the playoffs.
Edwards finished this season with just under 29 points per game, the best number of his career. However, his assist and rebound numbers are both down. He only played 61 games this year, so he’s not eligible for All-NBA, anyway according to new NBA rules. He’s still great, but it’s not a banner season for Edwards. That is, unless, it truly is a banner season.
The Timberwolves are 2-2 against the Thunder this season, with Edwards having one particular performance that stands out. He scored 26 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a December matchup, playing 41 minutes. The Wolves have been bringing Edwards back slowly after a recent injury, but he should be at full strength by the time the Thunder and Wolves could possibly face off. If he puts on his best performance, he's unstoppable.
6. LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
It’s hard to assess what the Los Angeles Lakers will do in the playoffs. They are a No. 4 seed, and they will have the first shot of anyone on this list at the Oklahoma City Thunder. While the Los Angeles Clippers are one of the better eight seeds you’ll see (if they make it out of the play-in), but they don’t have the juice to beat the Thunder. The Lakers aren’t great against the Thunder on the season, but they’ve faced off multiple times and will allow themselves to learn their lesson.
While Luka Dončić is the star in LA right now, LeBron James is the X factor. If he turns back the clock and plays like championship-level LeBron, adding in Dončić and Austin Reeves would make this a hard team to beat even for the Thunder. It would just be so hard to defend this team at the peak of its offensive powers.
The Thunder have played James twice this season, and they won both games. It’s not a great look for the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, which is why we think something will click in James. His Lakers were embarrassed just earlier this month, losing by 40+ to the Thunder in their worst performance of the season. Sometimes, that’s a sign of things to come, but other times, teams use that as motivation to never let it happen again.
5. Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
If Cade Cunningham didn’t suffer his most recent injury, there would be real discussion about whether the former No. 1 overall pick should be in the MVP conversation with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He didn’t hit the games threshold, and likely would have lost to SGA anyway, but with how good he’s been this season, he can’t be ignored.
Cunningham has played the Thunder once this season, and he went off. He had 29 points, 12 assists, and four rebounds. He was great defensively, adding three steals and three blocks. His team was even better with him on the court. He finished with a game-high +17. The Thunder went out to a big lead to start that game, but by halftime, it was gone. The Pistons are such an interesting team in these playoffs, and they can truly beat just about anyone.
Legitimately, this feels like the Thunder will take on the best of the best in the Western Conference, and they might be a little tired going into the NBA Finals. The East isn’t as extreme, so we think whichever team faces them in the Finals has a chance. Even the Pistons, who haven’t been in this position before, can ride their star and a team concept (similar to the Thunder themselves) to a championship.
4. Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
The New York Knicks are an odd team. They feel like they came into this season expecting to take a step forward. Instead, they settled for a three seed and watched the Boston Celtics pass them in the standings despite spending most of their season without their best player. There were times when the team felt like it had major, foundational issues, but they’ve at least gotten past that. After their win against the Celtics near the end of the season, that has them going into the playoffs with momentum.
That’s the thing about the Knicks: they are a vibes team. If the vibes are high, they can beat anyone, with proof being their win in the NBA Cup last year. Jalen Brunson leads a team of contributors. He’s the star while everyone else just waits to see who the hot hand is. Some nights, Karl-Anthony Towns will lead the team. Other nights, Myles Bridges or OG Anunoby will be tops on the score sheet. Heck, even Josh Hart or Miles McBride can get hot and dominate at any time.
To beat the Thunder, the Knicks would need Brunson to look like a super-duper star. He looked bad in one game against OKC and great in another, even if they were both losses. In their second game, Brunson had 32 points, five rebounds, and five assists. He still has to play some defense if the Knicks have a shot at a title.
3. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics were supposed to take this year off from contention. They traded away Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday in the offseason after Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles in the postseason. Tatum and Jaylen Brown are young enough to take a year off and still be long-time contenders. It was okay, and maybe they could get a quality draft pick in 2026.
Instead, the Celtics sustained throughout the season. Brown took his game up another level and became one of the best players in the world. Joe Mazzula put on his best coaching performance of his career, and they survived until Tatum could make his miraculous debut just 10 months after tearing his Achilles.
While Brown is a necessity to get to the Finals and beat the Thunder, that’s a given. However, Tatum playing like the best version of himself would make the Celtics a true contender. This wouldn’t even be a shock. The Celtics were built to win championships, just like the Thunder are now. They were supposed to be the dynasty. Now, we can have two teams competing for their legacy in the history books of the NBA. The last two NBA champions facing off, with Tatum holding his own legacy in his hands, would be must-see TV.
2. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
There are two big dogs (literally and figuratively) in the Western Conference who can beat the Thunder. It’s the other players in that special level of player with SGA. Let’s start with Victor Wembanyama. The San Antonio Spurs made a step forward way before many expected. Now, they are a true contender with the most popular young player, maybe in sports.
Wemby has been really good this season. Okay, that’s an understatement. The Spurs and Thunder have faced off five times this season, and the Spurs have won four of those matchups. It’s the scenario nobody is really talking about. The Spurs have owned the best team in the league, and they almost took the number-one seed from them because of it.
Here’s what’s odd about the Spurs’ strategy in these games. Wemby is almost like a decoy in these games. He averages 18 points and 9 rebounds, both lower than his season average. He’s also only playing 25 minutes per matchup with the Thunder, way lower than his 29-minute season average. They are clearly saving Wembanyama for the playoff matchup, and he will be unleashed on the biggest stage.
1. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
At the top of the list is the player who is still dominating the league and playing at an MVP level. Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets secured the three seed in the West, which means they have an insane path to a championship. They’d have to beat both Wembanyama and SGA before lifting another Larry O’Brien Trophy.
If anyone can do it, it’s Jokic. He’s averaging a triple-double this season. That’s just an insane stat line. It’s not even a simple triple-double. He’s averaging 27.8 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 10.9 assists. He crushes the triple-double numbers. Jokic can beat a team by himself, and he almost did it to the Thunder last season. The Nuggets were really the Thunder’s biggest threat on their way to their first championship since moving from Seattle.
The Nuggets have played the Thunder three times since February 1st. They have started to get a familiarity with their opponents, and Jokic has gotten better in each matchup. In their last game in March, Jokic had 32 points, 14 rebounds, and 13 assists. Nobody dominated a stat line like that against the Thunder defense, but nobody is like Jokic. Let's see if he can beat him in the playoffs for real this time.
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