To the surprise of many, the Oklahoma City Thunder have taken the number one seed in the Western Conference. But if NFL legend Shannon Sharpe is to be believed, they are shaping to be the weakest top team the NBA has seen for a long time.
Last season , the Thunder finished 10th in the Western Conference and almost made the playoffs with their 40-42 record. Chet Holmgren’s unavailability to play during that time due to an injury hampered the team’s chances to finish the regular season strong, even with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander posting insane numbers then.
This season, though, is a different story for Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder. OKC managed to rise up to the top and claim the number one seed in the West with their record of 57 wins and 25 losses. The Thunder’s All-Star guard has established himself as one of the league’s best players and a contender to win the MVP award this year. Moreover, the front office has assembled a young and talented roster that includes Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Luguentz Dort, and Josh Giddey, among others.
The Thunder’s success this season is the culmination of the front office’s long-term plan to build a contender after trading Paul George and Russell Westbrook in 2019. Since then, the franchise has successfully amassed draft picks while developing their players to contend in the NBA.
Even if with all of their accomplishments this season, the Thunder still have their share of doubters. Among them is NFL legend and current NBA analyst Shannon Sharpe, as seen in a video shared by Vito Corleone on X:
“Do you actually think that the OKC Thunder is gonna make it all the way to the Western Conference? … This might be the weakest No. 1 seed in the NBA in a very long time,” Sharpe said.
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— Vito Corleonie (@VCorleonie) April 16, 2024
Brian Windhorst added in the same video that Sharpe will regret those words. As it stands, the Thunder boast the second-youngest team while fielding a top-three offense and top-four defense. Also, SGA is playing like an MVP and has transformed the team into the contender it is today.
Sharpe’s take will be proven in the coming days as the playoffs are about to start. With the Thunder facing the New Orleans Pelicans or Sacramento Kings, the SGA-led team will soon have its first real test soon.
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