If OKC doesn’t make the finals, do you think they will get a pass from the media/fans?

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

Sam Presti is going to look funny in the light of OKC doesn't have a deep playoff run. He's starting to look like nothing but a huge pick hoarder.

OKC is only a young team. They've got time on their side and assets to flip if/when they need to.

Their #2 and #3 options are only 22 and 23, respectively, so if they don't make a deep playoff run this season it's not the end of the world. You can't fault them wanting to rely on the group that got them this far.

 

[Regular_P]

OKC is only a young team. They've got time on their side and assets to flip if/when they need to.

Their #2 and #3 options are only 22 and 23, respectively, so if they don't make a deep playoff run this season it's not the end of the world. You can't fault them wanting to rely on the group that got them this far.

They have through next season with this current group. Chet and JDub will get max extensions in the summer of 2026, whether from OKC or someone else.

If Dub makes an All-NBA team this year, he'll be eligible for 5/$296 million; Chet's starting point is gonna be 5/$246 million. SGA's due a new max in 2027. Is OKC's cheap ass owner gonna pay all these guys or go into the tax to keep a contender around them? He didn't do that with KD, Russ and Harden.

 

[Regular_P]

3P rate = Percentage of field goal attempts that are 3PA

So it doesn’t mean they allow the most 3s but teams take 3PAs at the highest rate against them if that makes sense

44.9% of FGA against them are 3s which is the highest in the league, but in terms of raw 3PA they’re 8th

Their math is also skewed because they take over 5.5 more shots per game because of their massive turnover differential. Even today, OKC took six more shots than LA and the Lakers had 15 turnovers to OKC's seven.

 

[who_better_than_me]

They have through next season with this current group. Chet and JDub will get max extensions in the summer of 2026, whether from OKC or someone else.

If Dub makes an All-NBA team this year, he'll be eligible for 5/$296 million; Chet's starting point is gonna be 5/$246 million. SGA's due a new max in 2027. Is OKC's cheap ass owner gonna pay all these guys or go into the tax to keep a contender around them? He didn't do that with KD, Russ and Harden.

Presti will fire the coach to convince the fansbse to “extend” this cores window…

I’m curious to see how they’ll handle tax. They did go into the tax for the Melo, Russ and PG-13 squads

 

[pete clemenza]

OKC is only a young team. They've got time on their side and assets to flip if/when they need to.

Their #2 and #3 options are only 22 and 23, respectively, so if they don't make a deep playoff run this season it's not the end of the world. You can't fault them wanting to rely on the group that got them this far.

That team is going to get expensive fast once Chet, JDubb are off their rookie contracts and its time to give SGA the supermax. $200 mill to Chet, $200 mill to JDubb, and what- $350 million to SGA. They're young, but they don't have time like that with this core and you're wasting SGA's prime/MVP year(s). Presti has 30+ picks at his disposal. Put the team over the top while he has a chance. He punted last season and helped Dallas secure Gafford and they ended up knocking them out of the playoffs. Should've went and got KD at the trade deadline this year. If it doesn't work this year make the move for Giannis. They don't even have open roster spots to add 3-5 new draft picks a year for the next five years through the draft. The heat is definitely on Presti.

 

[Flex Grossman]

The rest of the West is imploding. If they don’t go to the finals they should catch shyt

 

[Oldschooler]

That team is going to get expensive fast once Chet, JDubb are off their rookie contracts and its time to give SGA the supermax. $200 mill to Chet, $200 mill to JDubb, and what- $350 million to SGA. They're young, but they don't have time like that with this core and you're wasting SGA's prime/MVP year(s). Presti has 30+ picks at his disposal. Put the team over the top while he has a chance. He punted last season and helped Dallas secure Gafford and they ended up knocking them out of the playoffs. Should've went and got KD at the trade deadline this year. If it doesn't work this year make the move for Giannis. They don't even have open roster spots to add 3-5 new draft picks a year for the next five years through the draft. The heat is definitely on Presti.

I agree with you 100%. This is the problem with teams that draft well. There will come a time when now you have to pay all your guys that worked out. They have to go for it all and then dismantle the team if they don't want to pay again. But give up your picks to get a 2nd or 3rd star. Jdub and Holmgren are still too raw and inconsistent to be 2nd stars in the playoffs. They need a defined star. Like they could have easily gone after Giannis. He would be the perfect player for them. They can also go for someone like Embiid.

 

[Jazzy B.]

I think if they lose in the second round or if they were to shockingly get upset in the first, they will definitely be shyted on this time around compared to last season due to higher expectations.

The reason is that despite them being the #1 seed last year and winning 57 games, nobody saw it coming or expected them to have the season that they did, so when the playoffs started it was kinda like “Whatever”, since a lot of people subconsciously still felt like the West was Jokic and the Nuggets to lose meaning Denver was or perceived to be the favorite when it was all said and done up until they were unexpectedly eliminated by Minnesota.

This year, Oklahoma City has been the favorites since opening night, and around late November and early December, most fans and media pundits have pretty much locked in the Thunder as favorites to not only come out the West but to win the championship, so anything short of the Finals or at the very least WCF would definitely get them clowned.

A team with no real stars can’t be shytted on breh.

Current OKC = 2019 Bucks.

Giannis and The Bucks were the predicted to make the finals going into the playoffs.

They didn’t get shytted on for losing until the following year when the lost to Miami where Giannis was now the reigning MVP

 

[Street Knowledge]

A team with no real stars can’t be shytted on breh.

Current OKC = 2019 Bucks.

Giannis and The Bucks were the predicted to make the finals going into the playoffs.

They didn’t get shytted on for losing until the following year when the lost to Miami where Giannis was now the reigning MVP

Giannis got roasted for not making the finals. Especially when they started that raptors series up 2-0 and then loss 4 straight.

 

[Jazzy B.]

Giannis got roasted for not making the finals. Especially when they started that raptors series up 2-0 and then loss 4 straight.

He and the bucks weren’t shytted on until the following year.

Giannis wasn’t even an MVP by that stage breh. The expectation to win came the following year after he won the MVP. That’s why he was under real pressure in 21

It’s gonna be the same with OKC. SGA has to win the MVP FIRST. Then it becomes “OKC have the MVP they should be winning”

But I do find it very interesting how there’s ZERO pressure on The Nuggets
and 3x MVP Jokic

 

[Street Knowledge]

He and the bucks weren’t shytted on until the following year.

Giannis wasn’t even an MVP by that stage breh. The expectation to win came the following year after he won the MVP. That’s why he was under real pressure in 21

It’s gonna be the same with OKC. SGA has to win the MVP FIRST. Then it becomes “OKC have the MVP they should be winning”

But I do find it very interesting how there’s ZERO pressure on The Nuggets
and 3x MVP Jokic

Giannis was literally the mvp of the League in 2019 on the one seed in the east breh

 

[RammerJammer]

Ngl I’ll look at them like the 2015 Hawks if they don’t make the Finals

 

[In The Zone '98]

He and the bucks weren’t shytted on until the following year.

Giannis wasn’t even an MVP by that stage breh. The expectation to win came the following year after he won the MVP. That’s why he was under real pressure in 21

It’s gonna be the same with OKC. SGA has to win the MVP FIRST. Then it becomes “OKC have the MVP they should be winning”

But I do find it very interesting how there’s ZERO pressure on The Nuggets
and 3x MVP Jokic

Why would there be pressure on someone who already got a ring and 3 MVPs

Lol

 

[darryl]

Why would there be pressure on someone who already got a ring and 3 MVPs

Lol

Cac stfu. He's the goat who y'all dikkride everyday. Theres no excuses.

 

[In The Zone '98]

Cac stfu. He's the goat who y'all dikkride everyday. Theres no excuses.

There are several threads asking for proof of blackness

Did you share a picture in any of them. Because I did