Stephen A. Smith makes bold Thunder NBA Finals prediction
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Everything seems to be falling into place for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the OKC Thunder this season. With the end of the year fast approaching, OKC (20-5) is leading the Western Conference standings. The Thunder appear to have all the pieces needed to capture their first championship in franchise history, and ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith believes anything short of that would be a disappointment.
Ahead of OKC’s NBA Cup finals game against Milwaukee on Tuesday, Smith stated that the pressure is on Thunder executive vice president and general manager Sam Presti this season.
Stephen A. Smith predicting the Thunder’s NBA Finals appearance
“I got the Oklahoma City Thunder going to the Finals out of the West,” said the fast talking ESPN analyst. “I don’t look at this team and see any weakness, any excuse for yet another Sam Presti team to come up short. The man is great at filling a roster.
"I got the Oklahoma City Thunder going to the Finals out of the West, that's how I feel about them."
Stephen A Smith with HIGH praise for the Thunder
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The Thunder features an MVP-caliber talent in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a top-tier supporting cast, and a stifling defense that ranks first in the league, allowing just 103.5 points per game.
“He’s great at getting picks. He’s great at sitting up there and securing that you have a competitive future. He gets star players. I even like the coaches he picks. But somehow, someway, something is always missing. Enough is enough,” Stephen A. Smith continued while talking about Sam Presti.
The NBA Cup final is here, with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Milwaukee Bucks going head-to-head in Las Vegas for the title. Though it won’t count towards their regular season record, the game will determine whether the winning team takes home $500k or $200k.
The Thunder on track for a historic season
Oklahoma City has been in a quest for its first NBA Finals appearance since 2012. In recent years, they’ve emerged as serious contenders, though they were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs last season.
Reaching the NBA Finals this season would validate that the Thunder’s current core has what it takes to claim a championship banner. Winning the NBA Cup final could be an important step toward that goal. With a 5-1 record in the tournament, they'll need to beat the Bucks to prove that they're ready for prime time.
Despite Chet Holmgren missing several games and being out for the foreseeable future, the Thunder continue to look like a serious contender for their first championship banner since moving to Oklahoma City.
We'll all know in June if Stephen A. Smith's take will come true or not, but so far the Thunder has been nothing but terrifying to their opponents.
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