No team in the NBA has as much pressure as the Oklahoma City Thunder to go on a championship run. They were stunned by the Dallas Mavericks last season and hold the best record in the NBA this season.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is on an MVP run and the youthful core that Sam Presti seemingly walked right into after a surplus of lottery picks, is finally coming together just like he and the organization imagined. That said, championships aren’t won on paper.
Which is why the Thunder’s nightmare potential first round game could be critical in their championship hopes. The Minnesota Timberwolves could potentially end up being the No. 8 seed in the conference after the regular season is all said and done.
How frustrating would that be? I guess, though, to be the best you have to beat the best. The Thunder should embrace the tough road to the NBA Finals. Boston was hardly tested last season during the postseason. The Thunder having the gauntlet could be the difference in them winning the whole thing.
The Oklahoma City Thunder just might be battle-tested during a playoff run if the current NBA standing hold up
Oklahoma City should be disappointed with anything other than an NBA Finals appearance this year. They have a core that’s been developing over the last few years, increasingly getting better each year.
They’re healthy and playing extremely well. Sure they’d like an easy road, but if Boston or Cleveland come out of the Eastern conference, an easy road wouldn’t bode well for them in the Finals.
You also don’t want a cupcake playoff run and run into a team hot enough to knock off the Cavaliers or the Celtics either. That’s why they should embrace a chance to take down Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves.
If nothing more, the NBA needs a series between two of the future faces of the league. Edwards came up short in the Western Conference Finals last year to Dallas, so he’ll have an edge unlike any other, certainly playing against the top team in the West.
Oklahoma City could be in for a rude awakening if the Timberwolves ultimately go the play-in route and end up in Oklahoma for the first round. It could also be the best thing for a team that has a lot to prove.
If Gilgeous-Alexander and the core of the Thunder can make it out of the West that featured a first-round series against the Timberwolves, they could truly be the biggest threat to keep Boston from winning a second-straight title.
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