Nets vs. Thunder preview: Night 2 of a back-to-back

When they’re wholesome, we’ll see if they will get again to their prime kind.

The Thunder began this season at 24-1 and appeared like they’d be a heavy favourite to win the championship. Since then, OKC went 18-13 into the All-Star break, and appeared a lot extra beatable. Likely MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is at the moment sidelined with an stomach damage, Jalen Williams is battling a hamstring pressure after being saved out with a wrist damage to start out the yr, and breakout sophomore Ajay Mitchell has additionally been out and in of the lineup recently.

OKC must know if Williams can get again to the All-NBA stage he performed at this yr, as a result of he simply hasn’t been the identical participant this season. SGA can nonetheless take this workforce over the end line, however his teammates have to hit some pictures. The Thunder are nonetheless a fairly common taking pictures workforce from deep, and that may catch as much as them within the playoffs. The protection will nonetheless be elite if Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Alex Caruso can all keep wholesome for the playoffs, and that alone ought to make them the favorites earlier than it begins. I actually suppose SGA is a particular participant, and one of the three or 4 greatest guards the league has seen since Michael Jordan retired. He can carry the Thunder throughout the end line to turn out to be the league’s first back-to-back champ since Kevin Durant was on the Golden State Warriors. It simply does not really feel like that is an plain dynasty at this level.