Last season, the Oklahoma City Thunder had their most successful postseason run since the 2015-16 season. They cleared the first round against the Pelicans to make it to the Conference Semifinals but were overpowered by the Mavericks in that series. Despite the disappointment, Kevin Garnett still has a lot of faith in the OKC for the upcoming season.
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On an episode of KG Certified, the NBA legend passionately claimed that the Thunder has “some dogs” on the roster and once the season rolls out, they will put their talent on display. KG believes that by adding Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein to the squad, the Thunder have moved into the Top Dog status in the West.
He told Paul Pierce, “Say what you want, boy. OKC got some DOGS! They ain’t got no experience, but sh*t, I done seen some little motherf***ers knock the big motherf***ers out just because he was a dog…OKC is that little puppy that’s over the big bowl…and the big homie is like [barking noises].”
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KG and Pierce debated each other over the OKC’s chances in the upcoming season with different dog analogies. Keeping up with the KG Certified tradition, the room was divided between the two legends.
While Garnett believes that they have made good acquisitions (Caruso and Hartenstein) that’ll put them at an advantage this year, Pierce wasn’t completely sold on the idea.
He believes that the Thunder haven’t proven themselves enough to be put into the Top Dog bracket. Pierce needs to see a deep playoff run from the Thunder before he gives them any major recognition. But that isn’t a requirement for KG as he has complete faith in the team.
Caruso and Hartenstein joining the team will surely boost their overall ability.
More importantly, both signings didn’t cost them any first-round picks in the next year’s draft. Hartenstein was signed on a three-year, $87 million contract, whereas Caruso was brought in for Josh Giddey. Heading into the next season, the Thunder are predicted to be the number-one seed.
Overall, the Thunder roster boasts a great balance of athletes who will be able to mesh well with one another. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as floor general will open up more doors for the likes of Caruso, Williams, and Holmgren. Their experience from last year’s postseason might also come in handy this year.
Once again, all eyes will be on Shai, especially because he produced an MVP-worthy season in the last run. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, he has the third-best odds to win MVP in the 2024-25 season.
But players like Luguentz Dort, Cason Wallace, Kenrich Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Aaron Wiggins will be just as exciting to watch.
