Despite a recent win by the OKC Thunder, the San Antonio Spurs are still some experts' favorites to win the Western Conference.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are coming off a thrilling 129-126 win over the Denver Nuggets on Monday, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander likely cemented his MVP case with a game-winning shot over Spencer Jones.
The win and shot was SGA's signature moment, propelling him over Nikola Jokic, Cade Cunningham, and Victor Wembanyama in the MVP race. While the Thunder have long been the best team in the league, the San Antonio Spurs' recent run of dominance has experts questioning OKC's status as title frontrunners.
NBA Experts All Pick Spurs Over OKC Thunder
This season, the Thunder brought back the same roster that won the title last season. For the most part, the Spurs did the exact same thing, although their internal development has been off the charts.
Led by Wembanyama, the Spurs boast the second-best record in the West, but have winning records against the top team in either conference, as well as the third-place Houston Rockets.
The Spurs have proven that they belong, and some of the premier media figures are ready to declare San Antonio not just a contender, but a frontrunner.
"I got the Spurs coming out of the West," said Jeff Teague on his often-viral Club520 podcast.
"I got to give the edge to the San Antonio Spurs," agreed Kendrick Perkins on ESPN's First Take. "And when you think about the Spurs, they are peaking at the right time. Wemby, when I watch him play, I swear to God, I feel like it's AI some of the things that this man is doing on the floor."
Stephen A. Smith, usually one to argue with his co-hosts, instead made up a boogeyman to take down, agreeing with Perkins.
"'Well, I still got to give it to OKC,'" mocked Smith. "No, the hell you don't! You don't have to give it to them! I'm looking OKC Thunder in the face...you're going to need all your horses to beat San Antonio. We can say that there isn't a team in the National Basketball Association that can afford to be short-handed going up against the San Antonio Spurs."
With the Spurs nearly fully healthy and boasting a 4-1 record against the Thunder this season, it's no wonder people are jumping ship. The Spurs are about to kick off a dynasty, even sooner than we expected.