The numbers and eye test suggest that the Thunder should be the favorites in the West and legit title contenders; the gut feeling around the NBA says otherwise.
Whether it’s opposing fans bashing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his teammates for “foul baiting”, Shannon Sharpe vicariously gloating about how the Lakers will dismantle OKC in five games, or Brian Windhorst revealing that players and coaches around the league don’t respect them, to dispel the doubters, the Thunder will have to prove themselves in the playoffs.
Media and Player Perspective
“The Thunder are the youngest team in the NBA; you do not see the youngest team in any sport win,” said Brian Windhorst on NBA Countdown.
Thirteen years ago a young core of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden battled through the Western Conference gauntlet and made it to the NBA finals. Although this current team hasn’t had as many playoff runs as that core did, today’s team is deeper and has a championship-caliber type of chemistry.
Draymond Green alluded to the Thunder’s chemistry directly in his podcast, ‘The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis’. However, Green was not a big fan of the new OKC tradition where the team gathers during postgame interviews after wins, saying it takes ‘a certain seriousness’ to win a championship.
Comradery is an essential factor when on a journey towards winning a championship. It is very apparent that this Thunder team likes each other, yet it seems like, in Draymond’s eyes, this could be their downfall.
Reasons for the Disrespect
Normally, the No. 1 team in the Western Conference standings, who has a 13-game lead over second place, garners a lot more respect than OKC is right now. One reason that could be the case is because of the Thunder’s age. They’re the youngest team in the NBA. They don’t have the experience that the Nuggets, Warriors, or Lakers do.
Another reason is a lack of trust in everyone not named SGA. Many players on the team struggled in the playoffs last postseason, which led to heartbreak against the Mavericks.
It also could be due to fear. To go along with their age, the Thunder have a treasure trove of draft picks, two current All-Stars, a (likely) future third back who just came back from injury. Maybe the NBA is aware of how good the Thunder could be for the foreseeable future and aren’t ready to embrace that just yet.
Regardless of the reason for the disrespect, the Thunder will carry over their winning habits into the playoffs. The only way to gain respect in the NBA is to win. The Warriors, Nuggets, Lakers, Celtics, and whoever else the Thunder may face simply won’t hand over wins because of OKC’s historic regular season. The Thunder will have to take it with force. When the time comes, they’ll be more than happy to oblige.
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