Like I wrote earlier in the week, this was not going to be a game I would spend much time watching. I had it on the flat screen, volume down as I was reading Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankel. Tough book for certain, but one I felt I must read as the Stage 4 journey lurches forward with pragmatic optimism.
I mean what does one say after such a colossal mismatch? Why would such a game really tell us anything about the Thunder except that they’re really good and freakishly deep….and the defending champs are on a mission to take down Golden State’s 73-9 marker in the NBA history books.
Shai is right…this team is better than the team which held on in two Game 7s versus both Denver and Indiana. This team has grown organically and internally since last summer’s first ever NBA championship.
Sam Presti and this team he created from the ashes of the Paul George trade to the Clippers for then rookie Shai….has grown in maturity. confidence, smarts, and gravitas.
Again…the only team I could see pushing these guys in a seven game series is Denver…and that would have to be in six games because I in no way see any team coming into Oklahoma City and someone getting any whistles in front of the college crowd at PayCom.
So now the Thunder play the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night in one Emirates NBA Cup semi, while on the other side of the bracket the very ordinary New York Knicks will take on the upward-looking Orlando Magic.
Should OKC lose to any of these three teams on a neutral floor in Vegas…I would think not unless Shai can’t go in these games.
I will write this about the Eastern Conference though…it should be very fun to watch as maybe Detroit, maybe the Cavs, maybe the Knicks, and maybe even the Boston Celtics if Jayson Tatum can return in time. And let’s throw in the Orlando Magic as an outlier possibility as well.
But to this underground, award winning blogger it appears the Thunder are not only on a beat to win their first Emirates NBA Cup Final, but they’re on a journey to take what they feeel should be and will be their legacy.
In my mind putting myself inside of Sam Presti’s mind… that equates into the Thunder going 74-8 and being the first NBA team in eight seasons to repeat since the Warriors did it after stealing Kevin Durant on July 4th circa 2016 in some sort of karma-like ending as to the way all that went down.
I can see it in Sam Presti’s eyes. He needs this for closure. And MJ doesn’t blame him in the least. In fact…I have a smile on my face.
Love and kindness always.
MJ