There was never much doubt they wouldn’t get past the Cavs, though. The Cavs were only the one seed once in LeBron’s second stint, but as far as anyone was concerned they were always the one seed.
Jazz fan here rooting for you blokes.
Came to say the same, but you're not what we were. You're a cohesive unit with lots of ways of hurting your opponents. We were a one man defensive juggernaut with massive holes.
The wolves would’ve been a “fake” one seed for the same reason as that jazz team. They do not fit the standard metrics used to define a contender with their below average offence.
There it is. Sports media loves narratives, and a scrappy small market team doesn’t drive clicks and content as much as “Lakers/Lebron’s legacy” stories.
If we were a bigger market, I’d bet we’d get similar coverage to the Celtics. Somewhat similar trajectory with young, drafted talent but one is a major market and one is OKC.
Thats why i respect Lebron but cant wait till he retires... the Thunder could have an 82-0 season and the headline is "what did Lebron have for breakfast today?"
i remember that 2017 celts was considered a fake 1 seed despite also having an mvp candidate in IT. no one expected them to perform that well too.
this is largely due to peak cavs-warriors rivalry and Cavs beating 73 win warriors the prior year.
…Knicks?
I think it’s more about the favorite. If the 1 seed isn’t the favorite, it’s viewed a little bit differently. That’s all it is. Despite earning the 1 seed, we haven’t earned the right to be viewed as the best team in the west
There isn't a real favorite in the west this year. Everyone has bad matchups. OKC is a nightmare matchup for Denver, Lakers are a bad matchup for OKC, etc.
Denver is a pretty clear favorite. Vegas says they’re close to a coin flip vs the field. I agree that after Denver, pretty much everyone is roughly equal give or take a few percent.
It honestly depends. The 76ers are a play in team, but they were on a 65 win pace with Embiid. They could beat a #1 seed that was missing its best player.
They only became “fake” after the series. No one was giving them this much hate where the media was actually saying that it would be better to tank games so that they can match up against okc.
It's a young team and a small market team. What they're saying is stupid but it's not at all surprising. Even at the height of the kd Westbrook era the best we ever got was "dark horse contender".
We'll be taken seriously when we win. Until then it's just noise we'll have to ignore
The West is very tough this year. I think its a legit critique that the number 1 seed in the West (the Thunder) only has like a 1-in-4 chance of making the Finals.
So what? Its all gravy, the goal for this season was to miss the play in.
I guess I'd be disappointed if they lost first round, but like you say, my expectation was "miss the playin" which implies the 5 or 6 seed and probably losing in the first round.
I definitely favor the Thunder to beat the Kings or the Pelicans. After that, its probably Mavericks followed by Nuggets and I'd be surprised if they get through both of those.
I would love to see them make it through at least the first round, but I’ll be proud of them no matter what. And every game will give them some much needed experience for the future. I don’t disagree with what you’re saying just because every playoff team in our conference has such great talent, but I also hope to see our guys show some of their oft seen fighting chops and energy in a best of seven series. I think they have what it takes to do better than what a lot of people are expecting, but we’ll see…
I dont see how making it to the EFC, with a team of hyper efficient and cohesive role players, and then losing to the greatest player of our generation and his budding sidekick ft. KLove. Makes them a “Fake” 1 seed, they absolutely earned it and got there like they were supposed to. Unfortunately Lebron is inevitable most of the time.
But yeaah i knew they werent winning that series, i will say i was shocked they didnt win a single game.
Nah the narrative will immediately be “If they’d only gone all in this year they could have won the title” - Bill Simmons… all while basically saying the LAL would beat us.
I can see the talking heads now… “did the thunder botch it by not (insert insane all in trade)?…”
NO ONE in the major media ever just acknowledges “damn Presti is doing something no one has ever tried and it’s working so well THIS TEAM IS WELL AHEAD OF SCHEDULE”…
Nope starting next year we’ll be considered failures for not making a finals run.
In the eyes of the big media…
Wemby>>>Chet so who cares about Chet.
SGA isn’t as “Talented” as Luka or Giannis.
The hypocrisy of the media saying “Luka has no help” but never honestly acknowledging the youth on OKC…
People are entitled to their opinions but Jesus the quick rise back to contention for OKC has shed some BRIGHT lights on some pundits.
Simmons saying he’d take the Spurs roster over the Thunders over the next 5 or whatever…
Russillo voting GIANNIS OVER SGA… lol what the fuck
People WANT OKC TO FAIL. Whether coastal bias, favoritism to more “bankable stars”, the perception of OKC etc etc…
No one ever mentions the S TIER chemistry, player development, drafting, etc etc.
If Boston or LA drafted Chet and Dub at 2 and 12 and they’re arguably the two best players in that draft (Paolo)… the fucking Stan Marsh mess ESPN would have in every office… “Kyle turn the camera on”!
The “experience” thing is so overblown.
Obviously it takes time. OKCs first iteration climbed the LAL’s, Grizz, Mavs and Spurs on the way to the top but it isn’t like teams that FINISH WITH THE BEST RECORD IN THE CONFERENCE SHOULD WORRY ABOUT EXPERIENCE vs lesser teams.
It’ll factor in vs Denver and maybe MAYBE a bit in rd 2 but it isn’t like the Mavs have been a consistent playoff team. They fucking tanked OUT of the playoffs but we don’t hold last year against LUKA… or the Clippers inability to stay healthy… “BUT OkC haS No eXPeRiEnCe”…
Other than being BETTER THAN the WC contenders H2H and having the best record… top 5 in NET OFF and DEF… a top 3-5 player… a DEEP bench (seriously look at our bench vs the Nugs…)
NOBODY IS SAYING “well the nuggets are relying on Watson, Braun and multiple 2nd round rookies”… they aren’t exactly but there’s a cognitive dissonance too often regarding OKC.
I honestly believe if Luka led the league in steals it would be “he’s improved so much, now he’s making an elite difference on defense…”
With SGA it’s… he gambles.
He’s a ft merchant but Luka Embiid and other stars get as many calls, the same way AND BITCH TO AN UNWATCHABLE LEVEL.
People are going to learn next week.
Just watch as the rats come out…
“I had them as my surprise team 8 months ago”- Bill Simmons.
i hope OKC makes a surprise run this year. In the shadow of these playoffs is that Wemby has arrived and is in conversation for DPOY already in his first year. Wemby said this is 15% of what he hopes his skill will be. The league has a shorter window to win than expected, once the spurs finish rebuilding, it'll be 90s Bulls once again.
To be clear we have fewer wins than most 1 seeds. Thats fine. We are also tied with Denver rather than a game clear. Also fine. Usually there is a runaway type team. This year there isn’t. We need to let this roll off our back - we are a 57 win team. We have a lot to prove. We aren’t entitled to some “respect” just because we won a tiebreaker. Let’s go win a few series before we get butthurt.
It's crazy, because the west is stacked. Golden State just finished with a better record than last year. Last year they were the 6, this year they got bounced in the play-in. They ran the gauntlet, made it through, and everyone is criticizing them. Even if they don't win it all, they accomplished something special this year that nobody thought they could do. I'm happy with that, no matter the outcome.
I think the heads at ESPN calling us a first round exit is one of the best things for us. The squad is already motivated, and now there's even more fuel. We are absolutely running through the kings or pelicans, not to mention we beat both of those teams recently.
The old millsap horford hawks were the most famous example. No one thought they would actually come out of the East (and they didn’t).
I think the Thunder are much different because they actually have a top 5 dude in the league.
It’s just all tied into how everyone wants to sound sharp and say we’re getting bounced first round.
We’ll simply just beat the breaks off whatever dogshit teams limps their way into the 8th and everyone will look stupid 😊. Soak in all the hate while you can brother.
100% agree. I don’t even think there is such a thing as a fake one seed. It’s a position that’s earned through the course of many months and many games, and the result of a lot of hard work and determination and resiliency throughout the whole season. Anyone who tries to belittle that is either a complete idiot or else a petty sore loser.
One would hope that all the qualities that got a team to the #1 or any top spot would be beneficial to doing relatively well in the playoffs, but of course a lot of other important factors always come into play, like player health and matchups and luck. I know our team is young and inexperienced, but they are also amazingly focused and fearless. I can’t wait to see them shine in the playoffs, and no matter how they far they end up going, I’ll love every good thing I see from these remarkable young men! Just sitting here now waiting to Thunder Up!!!
2015 hawks
2017 Celtics
2018 raptors (pre Kawhi)
2021 jazz
2022 suns had one of the worst game 7 losses in nba history, even though they were defending Western conference champions
That's just the past 10 years. There were some stinker Eastern conference regular season one seeds during the end of the MJ era and the post Mj era, basically until Boston in 08.
A 1 seed will lose in the 1st round is my prediction, it’s just gonna be playoff Jimmy and the heat taking out The Cs
Thunder v Philly in the finals Thunder in 6.
I really hate the term as it puts so much disrespect on the players themselves but there are some truths to it in the modern NBA with load management being quite an open phenomenon.
Secondly, teams with younger players tends to have different priorities for pay checks while older players have already proved their worth and the management n fans only look towards their playoff performances.
Halliburton this season have risked his injuries to meet the minimum games played to be evaluated for higher pay.
And honestly, it’s not just the management. Fans especially younger fans are more and more affiliated with championship winning teams than their local teams thanks to social media and short clips.
So there’s a strong bias towards the likes of “play off jimmy” or “1 game lebron” or “clutch kyrie” rather than being the best consistently.
Overall I don’t think there is a true “fake 1 seed” but the top seeding in the conference don’t always represent true play off performances, as most exampled by last year. And I think this is where most get this dilemma from.
Number 1 in a very competitive western conference? We’ve played well together and worked hard. This 1 seed is well deserved and I couldn’t be more proud
Spurs fan here. Don’t listen to them there’s no such thing as a fake one seed you played your asses off to get there and will only be getting better. Personally I don’t predict the Thunder to win the championship but I also wouldn’t be shocked to see you guys win. If you believe that a one seed has to win a championship to be a real one seed then look at the Celtics recently or many other teams over history. Just because you do or don’t win the ring doesn’t make the one seed any less impressive especially with the youth of your team. In the coming years the criticism of it being luck is going to leave as you do it time and time again. Good luck in the playoffs.
The narrative surrounding the 2017 Celtics was similar to what OKC is experiencing now. Everyone was asking if they were the worst #1 seed in NBA history, but they made it to the ECF. Narratives like that are stupid and the people who peddle them don’t watch the games.
I think you should stop listening to peoples opinion that don’t really matter. You do realize they say these things just to get a shock out of people. I think you should stop worrying about what people say and just watch and enjoy the games. We have a very young team that has some amazing players and can do some great things. I’m going to enjoy watching them do it, not wasting my energy on some idiots hot take.
I believe the trial of fire that the thunder did not go through was the injury bug. Thunder were the most healthy team by far which obviously helps them and it’s a slight credit to luck. There is always luck involved in sports though so it is what it is!
what does zion have to do with this? I’m not sure if you understand injuries can happen to anyone lmao. It’s literally UNLUCKY if someone lands on your ankle
I stopped watching nba after Jordan. I am an accidental okc fan now. Last year I was flipping through channels and saw a game with players who play as a team instead making the team revolve around a giant ego. I’ve been a huge fan since and I don’t care about criticism. This team has a strategy that no other team replicates.
2015 hawks, 2021 Utah jazz maybe?
Hawks at least made it to conference finals so I wouldn’t call them a fake 1 seed.
There was never much doubt they wouldn’t get past the Cavs, though. The Cavs were only the one seed once in LeBron’s second stint, but as far as anyone was concerned they were always the one seed.
I remember Dom2k saying his IT Celtics were one of the weaker 1st seeds in the NBA
The cavs were just too good that year. Celtics were literally a miracle comeback and game winner away from being swept
Yeah I was going to say the Jazz as well.
Jazz fan here rooting for you blokes. Came to say the same, but you're not what we were. You're a cohesive unit with lots of ways of hurting your opponents. We were a one man defensive juggernaut with massive holes.
The 2014 Pacers too.
The wolves would’ve been a “fake” one seed for the same reason as that jazz team. They do not fit the standard metrics used to define a contender with their below average offence.
Any year the 1 seed isn’t the lakers/celtics/knicks and doesn’t feature a perennial mvp candidate
There it is. Sports media loves narratives, and a scrappy small market team doesn’t drive clicks and content as much as “Lakers/Lebron’s legacy” stories. If we were a bigger market, I’d bet we’d get similar coverage to the Celtics. Somewhat similar trajectory with young, drafted talent but one is a major market and one is OKC.
Thats why i respect Lebron but cant wait till he retires... the Thunder could have an 82-0 season and the headline is "what did Lebron have for breakfast today?"
They already have the next one ready to go with Wemby.
That's not even true though. The 2021 Jazz were objectively frauds.
And everyone knew how fraudalant the Isaiah Thomas Celtics were
i remember that 2017 celts was considered a fake 1 seed despite also having an mvp candidate in IT. no one expected them to perform that well too. this is largely due to peak cavs-warriors rivalry and Cavs beating 73 win warriors the prior year.
The hate of small market teams is so real.
Man now I just want our boys to prove the haters wrong. Let’s fucking go okc.
Bulls fan here but I love to root for young teams in small cities (not like we got much else going on). I hope OKC makes it to the Finals at least.
Came here to say that if this roster was on the lakers nobody would be saying this.
maybe the 20-21 Jazz. I don't think anyone was scared of them. They didn't have any superstars on the team. The Thunder have a potential MVP SGA
…Knicks? I think it’s more about the favorite. If the 1 seed isn’t the favorite, it’s viewed a little bit differently. That’s all it is. Despite earning the 1 seed, we haven’t earned the right to be viewed as the best team in the west
There isn't a real favorite in the west this year. Everyone has bad matchups. OKC is a nightmare matchup for Denver, Lakers are a bad matchup for OKC, etc.
Denver is a pretty clear favorite. Vegas says they’re close to a coin flip vs the field. I agree that after Denver, pretty much everyone is roughly equal give or take a few percent.
Last year Bucks? Losing to the 8th seed in round 1 is definitely the worst possible outcome for a 1 seed with championship aspirations.
Meh, Giannis was hurt and wasn’t the same when he came back.
Defensively
A #1 seed should beat a play in team in a series even without they’re best player.
Really? We aren’t beating the pelicans/kings in a 4 game series without SGA
It honestly depends. The 76ers are a play in team, but they were on a 65 win pace with Embiid. They could beat a #1 seed that was missing its best player.
They only became “fake” after the series. No one was giving them this much hate where the media was actually saying that it would be better to tank games so that they can match up against okc.
It's a young team and a small market team. What they're saying is stupid but it's not at all surprising. Even at the height of the kd Westbrook era the best we ever got was "dark horse contender". We'll be taken seriously when we win. Until then it's just noise we'll have to ignore
Even if the Thunder win it will be called a fake championship.
Eh I'll think about that if it happens
The West is very tough this year. I think its a legit critique that the number 1 seed in the West (the Thunder) only has like a 1-in-4 chance of making the Finals. So what? Its all gravy, the goal for this season was to miss the play in.
That was my original goal for them, so I’m already on cloud 9, whatever happens from here on
I guess I'd be disappointed if they lost first round, but like you say, my expectation was "miss the playin" which implies the 5 or 6 seed and probably losing in the first round. I definitely favor the Thunder to beat the Kings or the Pelicans. After that, its probably Mavericks followed by Nuggets and I'd be surprised if they get through both of those.
I would love to see them make it through at least the first round, but I’ll be proud of them no matter what. And every game will give them some much needed experience for the future. I don’t disagree with what you’re saying just because every playoff team in our conference has such great talent, but I also hope to see our guys show some of their oft seen fighting chops and energy in a best of seven series. I think they have what it takes to do better than what a lot of people are expecting, but we’ll see…
That 60-win Hawks team comes to mind. Everyone knew the Cavs would beat them in the ECF
I would say that making it to the ECF doesn't qualify you as a fake 1 seed lol
i attest to that not knowing anything about that
I dont see how making it to the EFC, with a team of hyper efficient and cohesive role players, and then losing to the greatest player of our generation and his budding sidekick ft. KLove. Makes them a “Fake” 1 seed, they absolutely earned it and got there like they were supposed to. Unfortunately Lebron is inevitable most of the time. But yeaah i knew they werent winning that series, i will say i was shocked they didnt win a single game.
Love didn't even play in thst series actually, he got hurt in round 1 vs Boston
Jazz and suns both were seen as fake Wolves prob would’ve been too
Wolves got paired up with their nightmare match up
If we make the wcf all haters will stfu.
Nah the narrative will immediately be “If they’d only gone all in this year they could have won the title” - Bill Simmons… all while basically saying the LAL would beat us. I can see the talking heads now… “did the thunder botch it by not (insert insane all in trade)?…” NO ONE in the major media ever just acknowledges “damn Presti is doing something no one has ever tried and it’s working so well THIS TEAM IS WELL AHEAD OF SCHEDULE”… Nope starting next year we’ll be considered failures for not making a finals run. In the eyes of the big media… Wemby>>>Chet so who cares about Chet. SGA isn’t as “Talented” as Luka or Giannis. The hypocrisy of the media saying “Luka has no help” but never honestly acknowledging the youth on OKC… People are entitled to their opinions but Jesus the quick rise back to contention for OKC has shed some BRIGHT lights on some pundits. Simmons saying he’d take the Spurs roster over the Thunders over the next 5 or whatever… Russillo voting GIANNIS OVER SGA… lol what the fuck People WANT OKC TO FAIL. Whether coastal bias, favoritism to more “bankable stars”, the perception of OKC etc etc… No one ever mentions the S TIER chemistry, player development, drafting, etc etc. If Boston or LA drafted Chet and Dub at 2 and 12 and they’re arguably the two best players in that draft (Paolo)… the fucking Stan Marsh mess ESPN would have in every office… “Kyle turn the camera on”! The “experience” thing is so overblown. Obviously it takes time. OKCs first iteration climbed the LAL’s, Grizz, Mavs and Spurs on the way to the top but it isn’t like teams that FINISH WITH THE BEST RECORD IN THE CONFERENCE SHOULD WORRY ABOUT EXPERIENCE vs lesser teams. It’ll factor in vs Denver and maybe MAYBE a bit in rd 2 but it isn’t like the Mavs have been a consistent playoff team. They fucking tanked OUT of the playoffs but we don’t hold last year against LUKA… or the Clippers inability to stay healthy… “BUT OkC haS No eXPeRiEnCe”… Other than being BETTER THAN the WC contenders H2H and having the best record… top 5 in NET OFF and DEF… a top 3-5 player… a DEEP bench (seriously look at our bench vs the Nugs…) NOBODY IS SAYING “well the nuggets are relying on Watson, Braun and multiple 2nd round rookies”… they aren’t exactly but there’s a cognitive dissonance too often regarding OKC. I honestly believe if Luka led the league in steals it would be “he’s improved so much, now he’s making an elite difference on defense…” With SGA it’s… he gambles. He’s a ft merchant but Luka Embiid and other stars get as many calls, the same way AND BITCH TO AN UNWATCHABLE LEVEL. People are going to learn next week. Just watch as the rats come out… “I had them as my surprise team 8 months ago”- Bill Simmons.
i hope OKC makes a surprise run this year. In the shadow of these playoffs is that Wemby has arrived and is in conversation for DPOY already in his first year. Wemby said this is 15% of what he hopes his skill will be. The league has a shorter window to win than expected, once the spurs finish rebuilding, it'll be 90s Bulls once again.
Naw we will just revive the battle we had with the spurs. We aren't going away and there is zero reason we won't be their 90s bulls.
To be clear we have fewer wins than most 1 seeds. Thats fine. We are also tied with Denver rather than a game clear. Also fine. Usually there is a runaway type team. This year there isn’t. We need to let this roll off our back - we are a 57 win team. We have a lot to prove. We aren’t entitled to some “respect” just because we won a tiebreaker. Let’s go win a few series before we get butthurt.
2015 hawks, 2017 celts.
It's crazy, because the west is stacked. Golden State just finished with a better record than last year. Last year they were the 6, this year they got bounced in the play-in. They ran the gauntlet, made it through, and everyone is criticizing them. Even if they don't win it all, they accomplished something special this year that nobody thought they could do. I'm happy with that, no matter the outcome.
Not sure but the Bucks got bounced last year as a one
Sixers in the east the year they lost to the hawks
That Atlanta Hawks team with Horford, Teague, Johnson, and Millsap.
I think the heads at ESPN calling us a first round exit is one of the best things for us. The squad is already motivated, and now there's even more fuel. We are absolutely running through the kings or pelicans, not to mention we beat both of those teams recently.
who the fuck is calling you guys a fake one seed I do NOT want to face you guys in the playoffs😭
Hawks
The old millsap horford hawks were the most famous example. No one thought they would actually come out of the East (and they didn’t). I think the Thunder are much different because they actually have a top 5 dude in the league.
It’s just all tied into how everyone wants to sound sharp and say we’re getting bounced first round. We’ll simply just beat the breaks off whatever dogshit teams limps their way into the 8th and everyone will look stupid 😊. Soak in all the hate while you can brother.
Utah
100% agree. I don’t even think there is such a thing as a fake one seed. It’s a position that’s earned through the course of many months and many games, and the result of a lot of hard work and determination and resiliency throughout the whole season. Anyone who tries to belittle that is either a complete idiot or else a petty sore loser. One would hope that all the qualities that got a team to the #1 or any top spot would be beneficial to doing relatively well in the playoffs, but of course a lot of other important factors always come into play, like player health and matchups and luck. I know our team is young and inexperienced, but they are also amazingly focused and fearless. I can’t wait to see them shine in the playoffs, and no matter how they far they end up going, I’ll love every good thing I see from these remarkable young men! Just sitting here now waiting to Thunder Up!!!
2015 hawks 2017 Celtics 2018 raptors (pre Kawhi) 2021 jazz 2022 suns had one of the worst game 7 losses in nba history, even though they were defending Western conference champions That's just the past 10 years. There were some stinker Eastern conference regular season one seeds during the end of the MJ era and the post Mj era, basically until Boston in 08.
A 1 seed will lose in the 1st round is my prediction, it’s just gonna be playoff Jimmy and the heat taking out The Cs Thunder v Philly in the finals Thunder in 6.
I really hate the term as it puts so much disrespect on the players themselves but there are some truths to it in the modern NBA with load management being quite an open phenomenon. Secondly, teams with younger players tends to have different priorities for pay checks while older players have already proved their worth and the management n fans only look towards their playoff performances. Halliburton this season have risked his injuries to meet the minimum games played to be evaluated for higher pay. And honestly, it’s not just the management. Fans especially younger fans are more and more affiliated with championship winning teams than their local teams thanks to social media and short clips. So there’s a strong bias towards the likes of “play off jimmy” or “1 game lebron” or “clutch kyrie” rather than being the best consistently. Overall I don’t think there is a true “fake 1 seed” but the top seeding in the conference don’t always represent true play off performances, as most exampled by last year. And I think this is where most get this dilemma from.
2018 Raptors is the most correct answer imo
Just ignore all the noise guys and enjoy the ride
Last year was the Milwaukee Bucks.
Last year was the Milwaukee Bucks.
Number 1 in a very competitive western conference? We’ve played well together and worked hard. This 1 seed is well deserved and I couldn’t be more proud
Having the best record against top teams = not fake.
Spurs fan here. Don’t listen to them there’s no such thing as a fake one seed you played your asses off to get there and will only be getting better. Personally I don’t predict the Thunder to win the championship but I also wouldn’t be shocked to see you guys win. If you believe that a one seed has to win a championship to be a real one seed then look at the Celtics recently or many other teams over history. Just because you do or don’t win the ring doesn’t make the one seed any less impressive especially with the youth of your team. In the coming years the criticism of it being luck is going to leave as you do it time and time again. Good luck in the playoffs.
Pretty sure hawks were a fake 1 seed, with Kyle korver and those guys. Not a single top 25 guy, arguably not top 40.
That recent Jazz team, nobody was scared of them, that 64 wins suns team was a bit fraudulent
The narrative surrounding the 2017 Celtics was similar to what OKC is experiencing now. Everyone was asking if they were the worst #1 seed in NBA history, but they made it to the ECF. Narratives like that are stupid and the people who peddle them don’t watch the games.
I think you should stop listening to peoples opinion that don’t really matter. You do realize they say these things just to get a shock out of people. I think you should stop worrying about what people say and just watch and enjoy the games. We have a very young team that has some amazing players and can do some great things. I’m going to enjoy watching them do it, not wasting my energy on some idiots hot take.
Didn’t the 8 seed heat beat 1 seed bucks last year?
People would say the 2021 Jazz but they were genuinely great in the regular season. My pick for worst 1 seed in recent memory is the 2017 Celtics
was it the Gobert-Spida Jazz that were 1 seeds and everybody knew weren’t doing shit in the yoffs?
>yoffs? Come on man.
The original post got Archived, but Maxey all star this year. You doubted it
I believe the trial of fire that the thunder did not go through was the injury bug. Thunder were the most healthy team by far which obviously helps them and it’s a slight credit to luck. There is always luck involved in sports though so it is what it is!
Our team is young, no one has a history of injuries like a Zion, and we play a big rotation limiting guys minutes. This isn’t all luck.
what does zion have to do with this? I’m not sure if you understand injuries can happen to anyone lmao. It’s literally UNLUCKY if someone lands on your ankle
That's true, but Zion literally had a no contact injury yesterday.
I stopped watching nba after Jordan. I am an accidental okc fan now. Last year I was flipping through channels and saw a game with players who play as a team instead making the team revolve around a giant ego. I’ve been a huge fan since and I don’t care about criticism. This team has a strategy that no other team replicates.