OKC Is a Dark Horse for the NBA Title
The Oklahoma City Thunder Continue to Dominate NBA Games, as They Fight for the Top of Western Conference
Thunderstorm ⚡
We all know who the top title contenders are. Everybody expects the Celtics, Bucks, and the Nuggets to be in the mix at the end of the season. However, there could be a serious dark horse emerging.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are 26-11 in NBA games, which is second-best in the Western Conference. Despite that, it’s still hard for the wide NBA audience to take them seriously considering how young the roster is. With an average age of 24.12, the Thunder have the second-youngest roster in the NBA.
2021-22 Season vs 2023-24 Season. Took OKC two years to go from 14th to 1st. Incredible. pic.twitter.com/TCVBmpNS6c
— OKC Thunder Stats (@ThunderNumbers) January 12, 2024
Very few NFL players on the roster have extensive playoff experience but they’ve got a lot going for them. They’ve got a bonafide NBA MVP candidate in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The 25-year-old guard is third in the NBA with 31.4 points per game right now.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in 21 minutes
31 points
5 rebounds
4 assists
1 steal
11/15 FGALight game for the MVP frontrunner pic.twitter.com/xqqHQ0id4A
— TF (@ThunderFocus) January 12, 2024
Gilgeous-Alexander has emerged as one of the best players in the NBA and it’s pretty wild to think that the Clippers gave up him and a ton of draft picks to get Paul George. I think it’s safe to say that they wish they could redo that trade.
George is still a good player but he’s getting older and often hurt. It’s fair to say Gilgeous-Alexander is already a better player and will be for a long time. It’s not like the Clippers have won anything since George got there.
The Thunder just beat the Trail Blazers by 62 points‼️
FINAL SCORE: 139-77
It’s the largest victory in OKC history. pic.twitter.com/cik83q3yBB
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 12, 2024
While Gilgeous-Alexander is the face of the Thunder, he’s not the only young player making a name for himself. Rookie forward Chet Holmgren is proving that he was worth the hype coming out of the draft.
He’s averaging 18.0 points a game and is in the mix for Rookie of the Year. Fellow second-year pro Jalen Williams is also having a career year as he’s averaging 18.3 points a game.
JALEN WILLIAMS IS AN ALL-STAR pic.twitter.com/qIuO3JpqCR
— Topic: Thunder Podcast (@OKCTopicThunder) January 12, 2024
The future is so bright for this team and they should start being bigger NBA news drivers for the next few years. What has to have the fan base excited is that they could also go big-game hunting when NBA rumors season heats up.
They have so many assets they can trade to try and add a big star. The biggest knock on this team is that they’re so young. If they can get some veteran help with NBA playoff experience, they could be title contenders sooner rather than later.
Author: Sin City Sniper
Author: Sin City SniperBusting bookmakers and taking their money is his greatest joy in life. He’s been around the block more than once, knows the players both on and off the field of battle, and uses his experience to serve the bookies a heaping plate of humble pie washed down by a warm glass of their salty tears. You can find him in any number of Vegas books, sniping weak lines and getting paid to do it.
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