Who thinks MIN and OKC are for real?

[3ba11]

thread title

[FultzNationRISE]

I would still be ‘surprised’ it either makes the Finals, but I wouldnt be ‘completely shocked’ given the way theyve performed this year.

[Xiao Yao You]

OKC is still too young I imagine. Minnesota had some depth issues. The Morris guys should help

[3ba11]

I would still be ‘surprised’ it either makes the Finals, but I wouldnt be ‘completely shocked’ given the way theyve performed this year.

When has a really young team beaten a dynasty-level team or champion in-their-prime like the Nuggets to make a Finals?

I can't remember when that's happened - 2nd-year Bird beat Dr. J but the Sixers were perennial losers, not champs in their prime or dynasties

So I don't see OKC or MIN making it.. The only other way they could make it is if the current West was a complete one-off in history with a 53-win 1 seed in a worst-ever conference that allows many 1-star teams to make the Finals (Iverson, Dwight, Lebron, Kidd twice).. But obviously, the current West isn't that.. It contains a juggernaut champion in their prime - and this champion won via developed-chemistry, not talent - so a young team is even less likely to knock them off

[Xiao Yao You]

Wouldn't exactly call Minnesota young. Ant, McDaniels and Reid are the only rotation players under 25. Soon to have 4 guys over 30. Great mix of young and old. OKC just added a couple vets but not much playoff experience otherwise

[SouBeachTalents]

So I don't see OKC or MIN making it.. The only other way they could make it is if the current West was a complete one-off in history with a 53-win 1 seed in a worst-ever conference that allows many 1-star teams to make the Finals (Iverson, Dwight, Lebron, Kidd twice).. But obviously, the current West isn't that.. It contains a juggernaut champion in their prime - and this champion won via developed-chemistry, not talent - so a young team is even less likely to knock them off

Aaaaaaand here's why he really made the thread

[90sgoat]

OKC is fools gold, though they're ahead of the curve.

Toody in Minny with Ant can put up a fight, but they'll lose to Clips, Nugs and Mavs at the very least.

[3ba11]

Aaaaaaand here's why he really made the thread

Well a young team like OKC or MIN aren't beating a prime champion like the Nuggets because it's never happened before.

In other words, this ain't the 00's East (the only conference in history that allowed multiple 1-star teams to win the conference... and probably the lowest wins ever for a 1 seed)

[SouBeachTalents]

Well a young team like OKC or MIN aren't beating a prime champion like the Nuggets because it's never happened before.

In other words, this ain't the 00's East (the only conference in history that allowed multiple 1-star teams to win the conference... and probably the lowest wins ever for a 1 seed)

LeBron is better than Kobe.

[ImKobe]

Neither have proven anything in the Playoffs for me to consider them as serious contenders. I would not be surprised if both lost in the 1st round tbh if Lakers & Warriors end up 7th & 8th.

[BarberSchool]

Shai is ready now, but the rest of his squad isn’t yet. Especially not Chet if the opposing big weighs over 240. Chet has unicorn stuff, but also gets brutally pushed around like a rag doll, by 234lb Daniel Gafford.

Towns wasted a lot of his early prime years, being super lazy, and that hasn’t changed THAT MUCH. But he is finally being serious in a similar way to Embiid finally being super serious the last 2 seasons. Ant is closer to ready than any of the young dudes on OKC, but it’s not enough.

So the answer to your question is NOBODY whose opinion holds weight, believe either team as currently constructed has a true chance to win it all, barring opponent injury in multiple rounds.

[3ba11]

LeBron is better than Kobe.

Kobe was good enough to win many titles with 1 team and fans punish him for it by saying "can't win without Pau/Shaq"

Otoh, Lebron's inability to win many titles with 1 team gets rewarded by team-hopping and having naive fans say he can win with more than 1 team

The reality is that Kobe's skillset was good enough to win with chemistry, so he didn't need more help/talent, while Lebron's skillset cannot build great chemistry, so he needs more help or talent/team-hopping and can't win many titles with 1 team (but gets rewarded for it by naive fans)

[SouBeachTalents]

Kobe was good enough to win many titles with 1 team and fans punish him for it by saying "can't win without Pau/Shaq"

Otoh, Lebron's inability to win many titles with 1 team gets rewarded by team-hopping and having fans say he can win with more than 1 team

The reality is that Kobe's skillset was good enough to win with chemistry, so he didn't need more help/talent, while Lebron's skillset cannot build great chemistry, so he needs more help or talent/team-hopping and can't win many titles with 1 team (but gets rewarded for it)

He literally cannot avoid taking the bait, no matter how obvious it is, clear sign of autism.

[3ba11]

Shai is ready now, but the rest of his squad isn’t yet. Especially not Chet if the opposing big weighs over 240. Chet has unicorn stuff, but also gets brutally pushed around like a rag doll, by 234lb Daniel Gafford.

Towns wasted a lot of his early prime years, being super lazy, and that hasn’t changed THAT MUCH. But he is finally being serious in a similar way to Embiid finally being super serious the last 2 seasons. Ant is closer to ready than any of the young dudes on OKC, but it’s not enough.

So the answer to your question is NOBODY whose opinion holds weight, believe either team as currently constructed has a true chance to win it all, barring opponent injury in multiple rounds.

yeah minny is closer

And their ceiling should be higher with an MJ-like shooting guard (off-ball expert jumpshooter) that allows the ball to move, while OKC is driven by a ball-dominator and therefore lower ceiling/Finals records historically

[Axe]

If minny doesn't make it past the second round somehow, we already know who's to blame.