How big of a threat is OKC, now and in the future?

[Roy H.]

Obviously, OKC is having a great season this year.  They're in the NBA Cup Finals and are leading the Western Conference.  They're ranked first in Defensive Rating and first in Net Rating.  They're doing that largely without Chet Holgrem.

I think that the Celts are better than anybody this year, but OKC is a legit threat.  The thing that worries me more is the future.  They've got Nikola Topic waiting in the wings, and if the season ended today (and the lottery results didn't change the draft order) they'd have the 7th, 14th and 17th picks in the draft.

Are they going to break through?  Are they the type of team that could hang multiple banners?

[Celtics2021]

It depends a lot on their ownership?s budget.  They should have had a dynasty before, but didn?t pay for it.  In just two seasons they will have Holmgren and Jalen Williams on max contracts, along with SGA, who will almost certainly be supermax eligible the following year.  Are they going to keep all three?  Who is going to be gone if they do? It is not a coincidence that Hartenstein has a team option the year that Holmgren and Williams have their extension kick in, for example.

The are definitely set up to have a sustained run like we have the last 8-9 seasons, but they will have to spend like they never have before to do so.

[wdleehi]

They seem like they could have Denver's problem.  I am sure they have a lower budget then most of the other teams because of their market.   The extra draft picks can help, but can they turn them over into playoff ready players.



As for this year, they are the biggest threat.   

[SparzWizard]

I'm glad they are the West's problem. Hopefully Dallas, Houston or Memphis could slow them down.

[Vermont Green]

You can line them up and compare, they line up very well:

Tatum       --->   Shai G-A
Brown       --->   Jalen Williams
Porzingis   --->   Chet Holmgren
White       --->    Lugu. Dort
Holiday    --->    Cason Wallace

Horford     --->   Hartenstein
Pritchard   --->   Isaiah Joe
Hauser      --->   Aaron Wiggins

I think the Celtics win 1-8 as of right now.  Over time, OKC has a clear #1 but who is the clear #2 and #3?  Williams and Holmgren?  To me, that is the key going forward.  They need to establish the #2 and #3, then they can use the draft picks to put good players around them at a reasonable cost.

Both teams are guard heavy right now, but at least we have Tatum, a true natural forward.  Their most used line up is SGA/Williams/Dort/Wallace with Holmgren when he is back (with Hartenstein in the meantime).  That is 4 guards and a 7-footer.  It is working for them so far it seems, but I see that as problematic.

[Goldstar88]

They had a great Regular season last year as well and then got rolled in the playoffs. SGA is an MVP caliber player, but for them to be a true threat Jalen Williams or Chet Holmgren need to become an Allstar. Until that happens, I don?t view them as a threat.

[Roy H.]

They had a great Regular season last year as well and then got rolled in the playoffs. SGA is an MVP caliber player, but for them to be a true threat Jalen Williams or Chet Holmgren need to become an Allstar. Until that happens, I don?t view them as a threat.

Follow up question:  is Jalen Williams an All-Star?

21.7 points / 6.1 rebounds / 5.0 assists / 2.0 steals on the best team in the conference

[keevsnick]

I'd say OKC is probably the biggest threat to the C's both short term and long term, but to me that has as much to do with the Celtics as it does OKC. Horford probably only has one or two more good years left, KP is a walking injury, Jrue is 34 and has shown signs of dropping off. Nobody on OKC is on the wrong side of the age/injury curve, several Celtics are or might be.

But thats the NBA. Windows very rarely last more than a few years. The Celtics have this year, and next year if they decide to spend. But beyond that the future is much murkier.

[Goldstar88]

They had a great Regular season last year as well and then got rolled in the playoffs. SGA is an MVP caliber player, but for them to be a true threat Jalen Williams or Chet Holmgren need to become an Allstar. Until that happens, I don?t view them as a threat.

Follow up question:  is Jalen Williams an All-Star?

21.7 points / 6.1 rebounds / 5.0 assists / 2.0 steals on the best team in the conference

His stats are decent, but I feel like he should be scoring more, TBH. Especially with Chet out. He?s 30th in the league. I?m not sure Jaylin can put the team on his back if SGA has an off night.

[Vermont Green]

They had a great Regular season last year as well and then got rolled in the playoffs. SGA is an MVP caliber player, but for them to be a true threat Jalen Williams or Chet Holmgren need to become an Allstar. Until that happens, I don?t view them as a threat.

Follow up question:  is Jalen Williams an All-Star?

21.7 points / 6.1 rebounds / 5.0 assists / 2.0 steals on the best team in the conference

I think that is the key question.  Is Jalen Williams an emerging all star, a legit #2 scoring option on a title contending team, like Brown.  I don't know, I personally have not seen enough of him to be certain, but it doesn't seem like he is quite there right now.  Could well be on the verge of it or maybe he is already at that level.

Same kind of question on Holmgren.  Seems like he still has things to prove before he is an all star level #2 or #3.  Both these guys are still very young (23 and 22).

And the rest of the team appears to be scrappy, plays tough defense, all positive.  For now though, I remain skeptical that a team can win in the playoffs with 4 guards and a 7-footer.

[kraidstar]

Over the next 6 years, OKC has 6 incoming first round picks and 2 pick swaps. The swaps have great potential.

They will net probably 10 additional seconds/second swaps as well. Most of those are several years from now. Some will certainly be early in the second round.

So they will possess 12 total first round picks and 16 or so seconds.

They're going to have tremendous flexibility to improve the roster. Which they will need, as their achilles heel is their cheapskate owner.

[Goldstar88]

They had a great Regular season last year as well and then got rolled in the playoffs. SGA is an MVP caliber player, but for them to be a true threat Jalen Williams or Chet Holmgren need to become an Allstar. Until that happens, I don?t view them as a threat.

Follow up question:  is Jalen Williams an All-Star?

21.7 points / 6.1 rebounds / 5.0 assists / 2.0 steals on the best team in the conference

I think that is the key question.  Is Jalen Williams an emerging all star, a legit #2 scoring option on a title contending team, like Brown.  I don't know, I personally have not seen enough of him to be certain, but it doesn't seem like he is quite there right now.  Could well be on the verge of it or maybe he is already at that level.

Same kind of question on Holmgren.  Seems like he still has things to prove before he is an all star level #2 or #3.  Both these guys are still very young (23 and 22).

And the rest of the team appears to be scrappy, plays tough defense, all positive.  For now though, I remain skeptical that a team can win in the playoffs with 4 guards and a 7-footer.

He?s not even close to JB. Jaylen could arguably be a #1 on a contender. The duos for the teams that went the furthest in the playoffs last year were Tatum/Brown, Doncic/Irving, Edwards/Towns, Haliburton/Siakam. All of those teams had a much better second option than Jalen Williams.

[Who]

Jalen Williams is definitely an All-Star caliber player. He is a high level defender, a strong rebounder, a capable secondary ball-handler and playmaker, a good scorer who can beat his man one-on-one & hit midrange shots & hit outside shots. He is one of the most well rounded SFs in the league.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

If we're talking about whether they're a threat to Boston, the answer is no, not unless they meet Boston in the Finals. Otherwise they're just another good Western Conference team that doesn't have much, if any, effect on Boston.

[Who]

I don't see anyone in the West capable of beating OKC in a 7 game series. This reminds me of the Lakers in the 80s, Shaq's three peat teams, Kobe & Pau at peak. The rest of the West is competing for who gets to the Conference Finals.

OKC are good enough to go toe to toe with Boston and beat them in a 7 game series. It wouldn't be some shock upset like it would have been with Dallas. OKC are a peer competitor. An equal.