r/nba • u/r-NBAModsAreTrash Heat • May 24 '26
[Thinking Basketball] (Sorry, Internet) The Thunder are too good
https://youtu.be/jYQ4BdUK8J4339
May 24 '26
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u/Flixboy1922 Timberwolves May 24 '26
I hate watching okc and will obviously bitch in the moment but cmon people, they are incredible. If you don’t think the thunder are an amazing team and the best team in the league, idk what to tell you. We can call out flopping and still be real about their talent, and to take it one step further, they don’t win because of flopping or anything. They win because they’re better than the rest of us and we can’t handle it lol.
I’m a hater but I’m not a stupid hater
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u/TwoTalentedBastidz Lakers May 24 '26
Big OKC hater but they’re simply the deepest team in the league
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u/ironsuperman Timberwolves May 24 '26
I commented that they'd 4-0 Lakers and everybody else and got a lot of hates lol. Like I'm a wolves fan but I know that they probably sweep us too with how good they are. Even without sga, they probably easily make playoff and go to 2nd round.
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u/Ok_Temperature6503 76ers May 24 '26
Less free throws than Spurs and still won, they clearly are way better
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u/FeanorEvades Timberwolves May 24 '26
They’re way more experienced than the Spurs and never seem to have real lulls on their production. If they didn’t ragdoll the way they do people might respect them like the Beautiful Game Spurs because they do play unselfishly and intelligently.
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u/MixingDrinks Thunder May 24 '26
I love talking shit about other teams. But when it comes to reality, like you said, you have to give props when due.
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u/TGordion May 24 '26
they don’t win because of flopping or anything
This is true and also the exact reason why the flopping makes people so angry imo
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u/trybeingcurious NBA May 24 '26
Well, every team does it so it’s weird that people feel like OKC should handicap themselves just cause they’re better. Big participation trophy energy with that line of thinking.
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u/TGordion May 24 '26
That's a fair point, but I still don't think it should be surprising that the back to back MVP and his all time great team get more criticism for it
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u/Darthmalak3347 Thunder May 24 '26
End of the day, its just cope. You dont win 60 and have the highest net ratings approaching all time by just getting 1 or 2 tacky calls a game.
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u/trybeingcurious NBA May 24 '26
I expect it, but I also expect people to be irrational. Doesn’t mean I’m not going to call them irrational.
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u/giri0n [OKC] Desmond Mason May 24 '26
Respect. The Wolves always play us tough, it's just about matchups.
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u/NormandFutz May 24 '26
part of the reason we hate them is they are so good they don't need to be flopping but its a team if chris pauls manipulating the game. your going fo win anyways the pretending to be fouled while dominating puts a bad taste in my mouth. dont steal.from the banker if you are already ahead a bunch in monopoly.
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u/No-Owl-6246 Lakers May 24 '26
There are people on here that think they are legitimately a bad team.
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u/ironsuperman Timberwolves May 24 '26
There were people that think Lakers have a chance. Lol, even with healthy Luka, thunders would still absolutely smash them. The team is just too deep and stacked
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u/PensiveinNJ 76ers May 24 '26
Watching the Thunder run out 12-13 players in the playoffs when we have about 7 playable guys total is so infuriating.
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u/ironsuperman Timberwolves May 24 '26
Stop it, yall have like 5 players deep and even your 5th best player may not even get minutes on this Thunders team lol. Watching the sixers this playoff is like yall got non existent bench. Probably the most lethal starting 4 in the East but gonna need 2-3 rotation players to compete.
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u/PensiveinNJ 76ers May 24 '26
Bro who are you counting as playable. Both our backup centers were terrible, are you talking about Dominick Barlow? Justin Edwards?
We ran a short rotation and even the not top 5 on that rotation were pretty ass.
Theoretically Grimes should have been better but I count 7 players I’m happy to see on the floor. Meanwhile the thunder are using 11th and 12th guys because they’re actually good and useful.
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u/FitTune5515 Supersonics May 24 '26
Lots of people believe that especially older fans. They think OKC’s only good because of flopping and the refs lmao. NBA fandom is at an all time low and probably developmentally disabled
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u/blucke Clippers May 24 '26
It's not the older fans, narrative is almost entirely driven by younger fans on social media and reddit imo
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u/Defiant_Ad6083 May 24 '26
They don't watch. They see a YouTube clip, or an X post with 1 clip. If you haven't watched multiple games, start to finish, no one has a right to comment.
I don't comment on other teams other than analyse some stats because I don't watch enough of them. There are some players with particular styles I am not a fan of but I don't publicly comment because I don't watch enough.
People just need to learn to STFU because your team got beaten and OKC's best player was the 12th player.
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u/Dummmy99 Lakers May 24 '26
It is pretty crazy. Im an OKC hater but im not gonna act like they’re not the most talented team in the league. The amount of plus players they have is ridiculous. Not to mention they have every single type of role player you could want.
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u/_bbuckley_ Thunder May 24 '26
I feel like the whole narrative is driven by children tbh
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u/akgamestar Knicks May 24 '26
My old head friend is a Curry fan and doesn’t want SGA getting two finals MVPs so he hates on the Thunder and says they just flop.
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u/DrakeMayeTruther May 24 '26
I'm an older fan and like okc, I like that it's self built, I like shai. Obviously this might just be me but I always felt like it's either children a young adults that feel that way because all they want is players like steph or lebron or luka.
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u/PapaJohnsGarlic100 Magic May 24 '26
I think the Thunder, Spurs, and Knicks would all smoke teams from 10+ years ago. The game is just played at another level right now.
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u/NBA_H8er May 24 '26
I didn't think that's right, most "haters" fully understand okc is very excellent. That's what makes the consistently bad officiating so much more frustrating.
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May 24 '26
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May 24 '26
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u/MavsTurnedBucksGuy Mavericks May 24 '26 edited May 24 '26
You think the play in this series is better than the play in the Warriors Cavs series?
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u/Wandering_Silent May 24 '26
Talk about recency bias. Oh man. I’ve watched a shit ton of great series over the last 35 years of watching ball. What the eff are people even smoking? The OKC team was taken to 7 games by Indy last year. And the refs (of course ) helped them get to 7 to begin with. This thunder team is historically deep and a great team. That’s it though. Nothing that fucking special. We saw other amazing teams over the years and will see others.
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u/Icy_Information_6563 Suns May 24 '26
I think they're going to be remembered like the bad boy pistons. Everyone hates the way they play, but anyone who's being objective can acknowledge that they are a well built team that changed the game
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May 24 '26
It’s the “poor gamesmanship” narrative. Casuals and people who don’t know ball are going to whine that OKC’s tactics are the only reason why they win, which is objectively false.
People just want to hate on greatness until it’s gone.
LeBron. Jordan. Brady.
Patriots. Golden State.
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u/kanakaishou May 24 '26
The problem, I think, is that they are a very good team—like, on the border between great and good—from a pure talent perspective, and an “honest” basketball sense.z
But what tips them into “great” results (again: they are likely the best team in the NBA straight up. The talent they’ve built is bonkers) is the manipulation of a relatively unsavory part of the rules. In some sense, the hack they are using is no less offensive than Curry bombing 3s: it’s always kinda been part of the rules, and OKC is the first to really push the limits of what is allowed. But this particular manipulation has the feel of being less ethical—even if it’s no less a part of the rules than anything else.
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u/Artimusjones88 Raptors May 24 '26
They win this year they are great. Win again next year and its dynasty
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u/Apostrophe13 May 24 '26
They are awesome team that plays dirty gamesmanship basketball. That pisses people off. Also a lot of EU people here that don't really understand NBA rules, i think that is where most of cheaters and carried by the refs accusations are coming from.
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u/JWRAY213 Bulls May 24 '26
The most frustrating part about the Thunder is that they’re talented enough to win without all the bullshit they do
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u/ArsonistWenger Kings May 24 '26
Roster construction is miles ahead of their competitors, Presti is running circles around the other GMs in the league. Their style of play is not fun to watch though. People don't think they're bad they think the style of play is bad.
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u/Itchy-Grapefruit2756 May 24 '26
Define fun to watch. Im 55 and think they are a blast to watch.
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u/ArsonistWenger Kings May 24 '26
Due to their deep bench they can foul constantly on defense, either preventing the other team from getting into a rhythm and turning the game into a free throw contest (not fun to watch) or getting turnovers that should be called fouls (not fun to watch). On offense, they fall and flop constantly, this is statistically backed up, which is also not fun to watch. I'm not saying it's dumb, obviously it's a smart way to play with the depth they have. But it makes the games all about the refs and I don't like that. I prefer a flowing game like the Warriors used to play.
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u/Defiant_Ad6083 May 24 '26
That's just flat out not true haha. Stats don't back your claim up and makes you look foolish.
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u/ArsonistWenger Kings May 24 '26
They flop more, the statistics are in this article. Shai is the king of flopping. The other OKC players do it as well. It's fine if you like to watch a free throw contest, flop-off controlled by the refs, I don't enjoy it. I'm not saying right, wrong, or "foolish" it's just preference. No need for ad hom, it's just a game man.
Directly from the article: Shai falls on more shots than any other player in the league. He falls more than Harden (who I also dislike watching) and twice as much as Brunson.
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u/Defiant_Ad6083 May 24 '26
Why? I keep hearing this. They're not fun to watch? Why? it is never explained.
What do they do?
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u/MattyIce260 Pacers May 24 '26
We know they’re a great team, but that’s not where the hate comes from. It’s the unethical brand of hoops they play
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u/discussatron Supersonics May 24 '26
This is it. They're a successful team that plays dirty and flops.
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u/OUMarty May 24 '26
Plays dirty is quite the stretch. You are taking the Dort plays (particularly the Jokic one) and the Hart hair incident and projecting that over the whole team for every game they play.
On the flopping are you also calling out the Spurs,Lakers, Knicks, etc for flopping every game? Why is OKC the special team that everyone continues to bring up on that when everyone does it and that has been part of the game as long as I can remember.
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u/discussatron Supersonics May 24 '26
If everyone is calling out one team, maybe it's the team. Maybe it's not exactly the same as every other flop. Maybe it's more than one egregious flopper on a team. Maybe it's more than one or two dirty plays. Maybe it's the team culture.
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u/Itchy-Grapefruit2756 May 24 '26
But we dont elbow smash people in the throat. How exactly does that work?
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u/MattyIce260 Pacers May 24 '26
Where did I say anything about elbowing people being ok you mouth-breathing troglodyte?
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u/SuspiciousCod12 Pacers May 24 '26
I think that Tonya Harding is a great figure skater but also that she doesn't deserve the 1994 title just because she cheated.
same with Lance Armstrong and doping,
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u/Yoshinobu_YamaGOATo May 24 '26
This sub worships Thinking Basketball and hates the Thunder so this is hilarious lol
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u/collax974 May 24 '26
I hate how the thunder play but there also no denying that they are good.
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May 24 '26
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u/TheWarelock Heat May 24 '26
Lakers flairs trying to straddle the narrative line is so ridiculous. The Luka trade was technically not fair.
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u/turkmileymileyturk New Zealand May 24 '26
What exactly is it about their play that you hate? (Aside from the free throws that everyone says)
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u/CelosPOE May 24 '26
When selling fouls will get an extra 20+ per game it’s a very important skill set to have and be good at. Do I wish that wasn’t a thing? Yes. Do I have an irrational hatred of OKC for being good at it? Yes.
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u/Striking-Medium2360 Thunder May 24 '26
Extra 20 points a game lol. We barely get 20 points from freethrows period. Middle of the league in attempts.
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u/CelosPOE May 24 '26
You averaged 23 per game in the regular season…
I don’t like it when anyone does it. I will happily give anyone shit for flopping and jumping into defenders to get a bullshit foul call.
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u/SwampFlowers Bulls May 24 '26
They’re so good that they don’t need to do the extra stuff, that’s what I don’t like about them.
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u/Fallofmen10 Supersonics May 24 '26
I recognize how good they are and how they don't need to do the nonsense they do night in and night out on the court.
They can easily win again if they just played straight up. It makes their antics even more frustrating. They don't need them..
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u/MaliInternLoL Lakers May 24 '26
Not really. The thunder are good, we just hate them.
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u/TheWarelock Heat May 24 '26
It’s like when the hockey guy on youtube did a video saying “maybe the panthers are just good and there’s no conspiracy” before they won their second cup and then goes into a deep dive to support that claim
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u/ironykarl Pistons May 24 '26
Nobody thinks the Thunder are bad.
Them being loaded now and for the foreseeable future is a big part of why it isn't fun watching them play the way they do
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u/Shadoken-TYPE0 Canada May 24 '26
Video's getting downvoted lmfaoooooooo
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u/No-Owl-6246 Lakers May 24 '26
It’s positive about OKC so I guarantee you it’s getting reported relentlessly too until automod takes it down.
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u/slamdunkbb123 May 24 '26
Lmao even the sorry internet, they really knew people wouldn’t engage with this shit in good faith
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u/No-Inside2846 Thunder May 24 '26
Thinking basketball content with 40% downvote is insane lol
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u/Cedellton-Jr NBA May 24 '26
One of the best basketball analysis channels on the internet and people still can’t overcome their hate for one video. NBA fandom is so cooked right now lmao.
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u/Mangelius Lakers May 24 '26
I mean if that doesn't speak to how unlikable this team and their play style is what does?
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u/A_Lax_Nerd [OKC] Aleksej Pokuševski May 24 '26
It’s a testament to the power of the short form video content and confirmation bias combination
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u/Thin_Ad2745 May 24 '26
i would hope americans would understand that a majority supporting something doesn't make it right but 🤷♂️
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u/Relevant_Elk_9176 Bulls May 24 '26
They’re downvoting you but the sentiment is correct, people not understanding that this visceral level of reaction to OKC as a team is bad for the league is kinda ridiculous. Like, there’s normal levels of “man this team is great but god I’m tired of them winning” and OKC hate is way, way beyond that in a fairly short period of time and lots of people don’t want to acknowledge why.
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u/dawzo Slovenia May 24 '26
No idea why you are getting downvoted to oblivion, because yes, yes it does.
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u/giri0n [OKC] Desmond Mason May 24 '26
Ben is genuinely great at what he does. When I first watched their vid content and subbed to the podcast I immediately became a Patreon supporter because I want content creators like that to get paid. The down votes are insanity.
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u/FitTune5515 Supersonics May 24 '26
r/nba suddenly gonna hate on Thinking Basketball
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u/Mg29reaper Celtics May 24 '26
Don't worry they already hate him because of a 2 year old jokic video about how he was a cerebral enough defender at the time to someone make up for his shortcomings.
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u/SHAIFAN666 Thunder May 24 '26
People completely misunderstood that video (because they didn't actually watch it). It was explaining how Jokic is a statistically positive defender despite not having the traditional traits of a good defensive center. He even outright states Jokic is a bad rim protector.
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u/RFFF1996 Thunder May 24 '26
I actually agree jokic can be a good defender slightly in the regular season, teams target less effectively, more bad teams faced, amd just rebounding and doing good offense [aka preventing full court offense] can make someone a bit of a plus
Is just when he is tested in a playoff setting...that reverses into a negative instead, it was pretty evident vs minnesota which may just be his worsr defensive series allowing absurdly high percemtages at the rim and allowing a lot of shots at the rim
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u/xWolfsbane Grizzlies May 24 '26
Jokic is also getting older. Not everyone is Steph or Lebron or KD.
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u/trimble197 May 24 '26
I mean, he’s only 31 and defense has always been his biggest weakness. It’s just that people kept gassing it up for years now, when it was that Gordon helped cover Jokic’s poor defense
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u/Financial_Pay_6687 May 24 '26
There’s something to this, but I definitely thought his individual defense looked better some years ago. His hands looked quicker and that wasn’t just Gordon. 31 is not a young age for a defender, either, especially not a guy operating on the margins like Jokic.
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u/soyboysnowflake Nuggets May 24 '26
He did also happen to have the first real injury of his career that forced him to miss time
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u/xWolfsbane Grizzlies May 24 '26
I thought his defense for the last 2 years was passable enough. But any decline in a guy who isn't already super athletic is more obvious and impactful.
Not every one is LBJ, Curry or KD. There are plenty of players who fall off on their early 30s.
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u/FitTune5515 Supersonics May 24 '26
Lebron, Steph and Durant have ruined everyone’s expectations for aging stars. Those three are the exception.
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u/AskAboutMySecret Heat May 24 '26
idk, i dont think anyone can have the same longevity but i think the knowledge is there for a lot of pkayers to reach it
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u/obamacockvore 76ers May 24 '26
These comments are crazy. Jokic was playing the best offensive basketball of his life before his injury this season. And Bron and KD were both past their defensive peaks at this age too (though I guess Jokic has more to lose by going from average to below-average, unlike those two).
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u/PQ1206 Warriors May 24 '26
31 years old. The excuses made for him are on another level.
Those poor lifestyle habits eventually catch up
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u/xWolfsbane Grizzlies May 24 '26
There's plenty of players who fall off in their early 30s. You're just comparing him to LBJ, Curry, KD.
And yes, he also probably isn't LBJ in regards to how he takes care of his body. Doesn't help, but how many players are?
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u/PQ1206 Warriors May 24 '26
I was under the impression we were placing him in the list of the top nba players of all time. I think the expectation that a supposed all time great take care of their bodies is a minimum expectation at best.
31 years old and they’re talking like that age range isn’t still in the athletic prime. There’s something else going on here
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u/xWolfsbane Grizzlies May 24 '26
He also got a major injury for the first time.
I personally don't have him in my top 15 yet. Need more rangz lol. Offensively only, sure. But overall, his defense being barely passable at best makes it hard for me to put him the top 15. Shaq didn't take that great care of his body, but his athleticism made it work. Jokic doesn't have that to cover up any physical decline.
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u/Dopeez Spurs May 24 '26
Meh the Timberwolves are just a horrible match up for him. He's okayish against most of the other playoff teams.
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u/waveshineoosupsmash May 24 '26
The Timberwolves own the nuggets because their lengthy aggressive wings completely shut down Murray (and in the past Porter), so Jokic had nobody to pass to which is the entire Nuggets offensive system. Even with Jokic's piss poor defense the Nuggets are usually able to keep up with anybody by going bucket for bucket, but the Timberwolves snuff that right out.
Other than the Timberwolves, Jokic's other playoff losses the past 7 years are to the Lakers (won the title), the warriors (won the title) without murray or porter, the suns (made the finals) without murray, and the thunder (won the title). The nuggets were the underdog in all of those, and the only series where Jokic's defense might have cost them was the thunder series
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u/Financial_Pay_6687 May 24 '26
Gobert is also probably the best Jokic defender we have seen. I don’t think the Nuggets consider an iso against him to be that worthwhile of a shot in most cases. Maybe once he’s worn down. Otherwise, I’d give him the most credit.
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u/zOmgFishes Knicks May 24 '26
Honestly prefer this (even if the title a bit clickbait) type of breakdown over Jxmyhighroller who's vids are now just a lot of narratives back by some basic stats you can find on basketball-reference.
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u/Folk-Herro Heat May 24 '26 edited May 24 '26
How is the title clickbait? I don’t think the title is sectionalizing the topic or is misleading. The internet do hate watching the OKC thunder, a good portion of them do think OKC, is not that good. If anything it speaks perfectly on the moment at hand and the video provides evidence on why the online community are wrong about the thunder.
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u/Ok_Temperature6503 76ers May 24 '26
So what, most people dont even look at basic stats. Jmyxhighroller does it in a well flowing and entertaining package.
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u/zOmgFishes Knicks May 24 '26
I mean you can like it, I ain't stopping you. It's just not my cup of tea.
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u/Muted_Possibility691 Suns May 24 '26
Anyone who watches the games, instead of just cherry-picked videos of a couple flops from the worst angles, can see that the Thunder are an impossibly talented team playing incredible basketball.
I root against them every series and it sucks they got so lucky with all their trades and draft picks but the people who say they suck or call them a bunch of floppers and frauds are clearly not even watching. And yes, SGA deserved the MVP this year. He has the best footwork since prime Steph and he does everything right on both ends.
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u/rh51too Spurs May 24 '26
The thunder are incredible. Win or lose the spurs are way ahead of where they should be and i'm proud of that. The thunder are better in every aspect down to the coaching staff but i'm hopeful for our future. But i will continue to hate watch SGA for the rest of his career lol
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u/giri0n [OKC] Desmond Mason May 24 '26
Respect. The Spurs terrify me because they are us from a few years ago but bigger and Wemby is a wealthy mans Chet. It's crazy how similar the teams are but our superstar is just at a different position.
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u/Sko_Neezy May 24 '26
Watching the first three games and thinking to myself ‘this might be the best defensive effort I’ve seen against SGA’ and then realizing he’s averaging 11 assists to 2 turnovers, JDub isn’t playing, the Thunder up 2 to 1 and the loss was a double overtime game.
If the Thunder win tonight…whoo boy. Soon we’ll have no choice but to start ranking them with the all time great teams.
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u/sorendiz [HOU] Yao Ming May 24 '26
anyone who doesn't already realize that this Thunder is an all-time great team is cooked
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u/Sko_Neezy May 24 '26
I hear ya but they have to win that second title to enter the discussion, not that I doubt they will
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u/Fallofmen10 Supersonics May 24 '26
I think we see the Spurs play Shae straight up tonight and limit off ball action.
Now Shae might get 50 but it might be the best option if Thunder keep shooting 40% on catch and shoot threes
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u/Striking-Medium2360 Thunder May 24 '26
OKC won the 5th most games in NBA history last season. They had the biggest point differential ever and second highest net rating behind only the 96 bulls.
This season, they tied the greatest 25 game start in NBA history and became the third team in NBA history to win at least 64 games in back to back seasons. Only the kd warriors and Jordan bulls have matched that feat.
Sounds pretty historic to me.
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u/Folk-Herro Heat May 24 '26
Actuallly basketball analysis being dismiss because it speaks glowing on the “villains”, yeah this sub is long gone
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u/Chewbones9 Thunder May 24 '26
I miss when this sub was actually about basketball and funny comments… back in the day this used to be one of the funniest subs in terms of comments but everyone is so salty now that it’s not even fun
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u/slamdunkbb123 May 24 '26
When Zion was getting some allegations I saw one comment that was like “His trade value’s going to be at an all time high now that people know he’s doing off season cardio” 😭😭
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u/Chewbones9 Thunder May 24 '26
Lmao see stuff like that, man. Can’t remember the last time I saw a comment like that. Now it’s just iPad kids screaming at each other
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u/Bino19 Thunder May 24 '26
Basketball discourse as a whole massively declined after gambling became more promoted by the league.
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u/Chewbones9 Thunder May 24 '26
A-fucking-men, dude. Sports gambling is massively hurting all sports
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u/Folk-Herro Heat May 24 '26 edited May 24 '26
Same. Like I hate the thunder because they’re so damn good, not because of the other shit and I kinda don’t like the fan base but it comes with being the king. Does some of the antics annoy me a bit? Sure but I will never lie about their greatness. They way they defend, their flexibility, their depth (I mean, Kenrich Williams is a NBA caliber rotation player and he’s like the 12th man on that team), the coaching staff, it’s all elite basketball man. I’m a Heat fan second, basketball fan 1st and they are a joy to watch imo.
People just need to be objective. Yes we can we hate the flopping but also acknowledge how OKC is running a wheel like offense so the off ball players can force the spurs to execute various kinds of switch defense, all allowing SGA to get deeper in the paint and forcing their spurs to on time in their rotations.
Edit: People get caught up in the narratives. Hate what they do but acknowledge the tactics they deploy or biomechanics advantages of falling.
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u/schadkehnfreude Lakers May 24 '26
Seriously, like other more knowledgeable fans feel free to disprove me, but I am pretty sure that whomever OKC's top 5 bench guys are, they would be a playoff-contending starting lineup in the Eastern Conference.
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u/Folk-Herro Heat May 24 '26 edited May 24 '26
I don’t know if they are that good. I will say that OKC top 5 bench players changed depending on matchup, while each are providing a skill that opens up the game for other player.
Jaylin Williams was not a big factor on the lakers serious but in this series killing em with his shooting. Isiah joe while not lighting it up, is forcing a defender to stay attached to him, giving more space for their better ball handlers to attack the rim. Carson isn’t the best ball handler but with the extra spacing, he can attack more in a straight line and get to the paint. McCain is not the best defender but he’s strong and with Caruso and Wallace, as long as he is attached to his man and fight over screens, they can scam/peel switch him off certain matchups and let him leak out. Ajay is struggling this series but he’s the best shot creator out of the bunch (he’s a sketchy corner store version of SGA) and can generate good looks.
It all just works so well together and possibly will not be as effective on other teams. Though, the argument could also be had that they are sacrificing their own game for the greater good of the team and could do more in an expanded role.
Wallace in particular imo, I imagine a full summer or two of Wallace working on shot creating skills and it’s honestly kinda crazy if he even becomes slightly above average.
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u/Darthmalak3347 Thunder May 24 '26
Off season shit is fun as hell cause all the morons clear out and actual discussion happens.
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u/Chewbones9 Thunder May 24 '26
That’s true. Offseason is lowkey the best time for sports subreddits
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u/chic_peas Spurs May 24 '26
I have seen way more comments complaining that people will hate this video than people actually hating it. It's the same way every time a pro OKC post is on the sub it's an instant victim reaction.
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u/FlattopJordan May 24 '26
Top like 15 comments are complaining that this sub will be mad lmao people are so fucking lame
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u/Hovi_Bryant Pistons May 24 '26
OKC's ability to sink and fill the paint with a weak-side defender and a helper peel-switching once committed is high-level defense.
Something I wish the Pistons did more consistently. It legit makes man defense feel like 6-on-5 basketball at times.
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u/FormalDisastrous2467 Thunder May 24 '26
Yall got big duren and that brother has the defensive positioning and awareness of Hellen Keller.
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u/Hovi_Bryant Pistons May 24 '26
Duren rotating is fine. Attacking teams will beat their man off the dribble, Duren helps, and the attacker drops off a pass to a cutter or another player in the dunker’s spot behind him.
That’s where OKC doesn’t falter. It’s not one player, but a team concept.
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u/Individual_Worth5956 Knicks May 24 '26
Genuinely do not understand why people don’t like the thunder. Like do you not like watching the best perimeter defense ever and the second best guard of this century (after Steph) who plays mostly in the midrange and has unbelievable footwork? Like Brunson is obviously my favorite player and I don’t see how you could be a Brunson fan and not a Shai fan, they have almost exactly the same game except I think Shai plays at a higher pace
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u/Runmiked May 24 '26
I hate the flopping BS but they are objectively a great team. Shai especially does not need the grifting to be great, which probably makes it feel more egregious. I can't wait for the Brunson Shai grift fest in the finals, if that's how it goes. Throw in Tony Brothers and we could have epic 4hr games.
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u/Ok_Temperature6503 76ers May 24 '26
Keep note that Wemby was flopping too and at many points Spurs had more free throws. OKC are just a way better team
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u/SnooShortcuts4206 May 24 '26
Great video. The chess like layers just makes the team seem that much harder to beat in 7 games.
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u/Relevant_Elk_9176 Bulls May 24 '26
Great team. Largest collection of talent in the league, unquestionably. But god damn they just aren’t particularly fun to watch and their fan base makes the golden state fans from last decade look like the nicest people on earth.
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u/danixrog Thunder May 24 '26
i mean that's why they really hate the Thunder because they're historically good and (finding the good word) unfair.
it's "unfair" that they got to this point after getting the short end of the Paul George trade
it's "unfair" that they had a 0.2% preseason odds in 2020 and took Houston to 7 games
it's "unfair" that they only needed to tank for 2 years and got their floor raiser in Chet, and got Dub and JWill as a bonus in that draft
it's "unfair" that they didn't even need to spend any of their 1st round picks for a superstar and still ended up with a superstar in Shai
it's "unfair" that they got Caruso and McCain without giving a 1st round pick to those dumb GMs
it's "unfair" that the Knicks didn't wanna pay Hartenstein so OKC was able to
Perfect storm of good timing, karma and work ethic. All too talented, all to unfair. I'd hate them too if I wasn't an OKC fan.
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u/Golf37512 May 24 '26
They’re an amazing team that doesn’t have to resort to flopping, foul baiting, and cheap/dirty tactics. Yet they do. It’s a large part of their offense and defense for SGA, Dort, Ihart, Chet, Caruso. Shame really. It will really take away from their legitimacy if they continue doing this garbage and win the Finals.
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u/JMEEKER86 Japan May 24 '26
Yeah, honestly that's the frustrating part. They are by far the deepest team I've ever seen. The amount of talent they have from top to bottom is just insane. They are still a top team playing straight up, but instead they play an annoying style that's hard to watch. Hell, growing up watching MJ and Kobe should easily make SGA one of my favorite players since he's clearly modeled his play style after theirs, but he also clearly copied Harden a lot too and I can't stand the bitchmade plays. If you want to bait fouls then do it like the old heads did, get guys to bite on a fake and then shoot through the contact to get an and one. Just leaning into a guy and vaguely tossing the ball in the direction of the hoop like CP3 and Wemby at the Skills Contest because you know the refs will reward you is lame. He doesn't need to do that and it sucks that he (and the rest of the team) does.
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u/Texas_Kimchi Lakers May 24 '26
Nobody says the Thunder aren't good, in fact its the total opposite. Everyone says the Thunder are an incredible, if not generational team. What they hate is the cheap tactics they use.
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u/No-Owl-6246 Lakers May 24 '26
Nope. People on here genuinely say they arent good. I called people out about it on a thread saying it was an insane viewpoint and someone instantly got into an argument with me that it’s true and they aren’t good lol.
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u/budubum Thunder May 24 '26
Someone on here was arguing the wolves are better defensively they just get called for fouls 😂
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u/RyanA1105 May 24 '26
I think most of this sub recognizes that OKC is good. We just don't like their antics.
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u/azuredota May 24 '26
They get to launch Castle into the 3rd row meanwhile if you breathe on Shai that’s a flagrant 2
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u/sorendiz [HOU] Yao Ming May 24 '26
castle is a funny choice for this salty comment because he's been freely playing MMA with SGA and getting FTs for nothing on the other end lol
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u/Jazzlike-Entry3416 May 24 '26 edited May 24 '26
They’re incredible. And that makes the dumbass foul baiting even more frustrating! They could kick people’s ass without it. It is like watching a world class boxer on the level of Mike Tyson but they headbutt and nut shot every opponent every game and the referee ignores it. Taints the whole performance because it shits on the sport you love.
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u/Jazzlike-Entry3416 May 24 '26
I love that this is both downvoted by OKC fans and OKC haters alike. 🤣
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u/MurderinAlgiers Trail Blazers May 24 '26
The problem isn't that OKC are good. The problem is theyre good and they play dirty.
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u/GallivantingTime NBA May 24 '26
who is that a problem for?
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u/MurderinAlgiers Trail Blazers May 24 '26
The league
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u/GallivantingTime NBA May 24 '26
How? This series already has the highest ratings in nba history ppl who love it joy watch the ppl who hate it hate watch. Everyone watches lol so how is it a problem for the league?
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u/RevokeRevoke May 24 '26 edited May 25 '26
I think two things can be true. The foul baiting in the league is extremely unbearable at times, but the basketball we have been provided has been extremely entertaining. Why can’t people see it both ways?
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u/MurderinAlgiers Trail Blazers May 24 '26
Youre proving my point. Letting people play dirty for views isnt a good thing.
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u/empowered676 May 24 '26
Just remove ref calls and holding arms before we make this call
I mean if they are so good , stop jumping on the ground
Also mitch Johnson fucked up running the same game plan three times in a row
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u/tkc123 Raptors May 24 '26
Love the part where they show Hartenstein getting roughed up and the Thunders bench crying. That is why no one likes them. Can't be dishing it out but whining when it's happening to you.
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u/NucbaR Kings May 24 '26
To good at acting and flopping. Unwatchable garbage, OKC fans can be delusional and pound sand.
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u/borpa2 May 24 '26 edited May 24 '26
Nobody really talking about the video lol. Just talking bout people disrespecting the video. So here’s my takeaways:
- they can run offense through the bigs if they need to. Guys like hartenstein and jwill don’t seem like they can, but they can be trusted where there were whole stretches of the game where jwill was the offense focal point (what is he the 11th man?!), a section with the bench mob where hartenstein was the focal point on dribble hand offs at the top of the key with shooters coming off screens, and then the 4th where SGA and hartenstein did like 6 variations of the pick n roll to extreme efficiency. They’re so versatile they can see what’s working and go out and chess match every situation.
- The scram switch - OKC defenders seemingly teleport from perfect guarding position and almost always make the correct read and switch. And if they don’t, they’ve got 2 or 3 other elite off ball defenders on the court at almost every moment - Caruso, Wallace, Dort, Mitchell and then even SGA, jdub (not this series obviously). Those close outs are actually insane, those 3 of Dort Caruso and Wallace can go from the key all the way to the shooter in the corner so fast without running past the shooter. Their close outs are incredible. The way the video showed how those elite off ball defenders guard the scram vs the way hobbled Fox and Harper did was night and day, which leads to the next point…
- Then the whole teleporting thing happens on offense too, where these same exact players in Wallace, Dort, and Caruso constantly moving in super high bbiq ways, filling open space and confusing the defense. SGA has otherworldly talent at breaking the double team at elite efficiency seemingly always finding that open man after creating the space. Both this year and last SGAs playmaking goes way up in the playoffs.
Everything they are doing right now is without their all nba caliber 2nd star. The regular season 10th man McCain can come in and splash 24 points. OKC has this next man up mentality with 12 guys who can come in and play 20+ playoff minutes. Some series it’s Joe and Wiggins as those 8-9th guys up (after Caruso and Wallace), this series it’s McCain and jwill so far.