The OKC Thunder have been the favorites from day one. Their historic start to the season set the tone, and no one was surprised when they swept their way through the first two rounds of the playoffs. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was just named MVP for the second consecutive year, and Jalen Williams is returning for the conference finals.
If you were to imagine what a perfect season looks like, it would probably be something close to what OKC has put together. The one thing that didn’t go perfectly for them this year, was their games against San Antonio.Â
The Spurs were the Thunder's kryptonite this season
It seemed like the Spurs conquered the unconquerable. The Thunder had a record of 24-1 before their first meeting with the Spurs, but over the next six games, these two teams met three times, resulting in three Thunder losses.
The Spurs finished the season beating the Thunder in four out of five contests, and looked like they had the defending champs at their mercy. Although the Thunder are still favored to win it all, the Spurs seem to have the blueprint to take them down, and if anyone can dethrone the champs, it’s the Spurs.
The Spurs are just to inexperienced
That being said, the Spurs are an anomaly when it comes to the playoffs, and the question is, will their regular season success translate, or will the Thunder’s experience prevail? Rewind a year to 2025 and the Spurs looked nothing like they do now. Led by Chris Paul, they found themselves in the 13th spot praying for a good draft pick.
One year later, they’re the second seed competing for a finals berth. This turnaround was nothing like we’ve ever seen before, but because they got so good so quickly, they skipped a crucial step in the road to winning a championship. Losing.Â
Since 2000, only eight teams have made the finals after missing the playoffs the year before. Practically every finals participant gets there after years of playoff failure and experience. But the fact that eight teams have done it does seem encouraging for San Antonio, until you notice a major difference.
The Spurs will most likely not join this list
The teams that have made the leap all acquired a veteran superstar in the offseason. Chris Paul joining the Suns, KG and Ray Allen with the Celtics, Jason Kidd to the Nets, and Anthony Davis to LA, all brought years of invaluable playoff experience with them.
The only players in the Spurs rotation that have ever won a playoff series are Harrison Barnes and Luke Kornet. Both are good players, but neither make a big enough impact to raise a young team’s playoff ceiling.Â
If any team was built to defy the odds, it would be these Spurs. But history has shown time and time again, that the playoffs are a completely different animal, and regular season success doesn’t necessarily translate.
The Thunder are finally at full strength and their experience will likely be the difference maker, but we’ve seen crazier things happen. If San Antonio falls short, it would be disappointing for them and their fans, but it would also be the kind of experience that sets temp up to dominate the post-season for years to come.
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