While both small-market juggernauts utilize elite seven-footers to dominate the West, their blueprints for success differ wildly between Oklahoma City’s depth and San Antonio’s lottery luck.
It seems as if the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs are on a collision course to meet in the Western Conference Finals.
Of course, the Minnesota Timberwolves, always a tough out, may have something to say about a Thunder versus Spurs date with destiny. The Spurs are up 3-2 on the Wolves but Game 6 will take place on Friday night at The Target Center. If Minnesota can win that one at home, all bets are off and anything can happen in a Game 7.
But OKC and San Antonio have clearly been the two best teams not only in the Western Conference, but the entire NBA, not only in the playoffs, but the entire season. With all due respect to the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons, most NBA fans and analysts believe that the true NBA Finals will be the battle of young juggernauts out West.
If the projected clash of the titans does in fact end up being the Western Conference Finals matchup, there will undoubtedly be nonstop comparisons between the two teams. Both teams are in a small market. Both teams are young. Both teams have an unbelievable 7+ footer who are the top two defenders in the world but can also dribble, pass and shoot. Both teams have a loaded roster with both top end talent and elite role players. Both teams have a treasure trove of draft picks. Both teams have dynasty potential. And both teams recently wrapped up a rebuild and bounced back to become one of the best teams in the NBA.
One anticipated comparison that will be (and already has been by many) floated is that both teams relied on tanking and the lottery to build their roster. And that is one similarity that rings false.
The Thunder have one player drafted within the single digits of the draft. Chet Holmgren was picked at #2 in 2022. The next highest draftee was Cason Wallace, drafted at #10 but OKC's original slot was actually #12. A small trade up using salary cap space is the only reason Oklahoma City even has two top 10 picks on their roster. Here's some fun trivia: the Thunder actually have more combined 2nd round and undrafted players on their 15 man roster than 1st round picks. The top eight players in their rotation include four 1st rounders, two 2nd rounders and two undrafted players.
OKC was out of the postseason for a total of two seasons.
The Spurs had an all time lottery luck run. They landed the #1 overall pick in a draft that boasted possibly the most hyped prospect of all time. The following year, San Antonio landed the #4 overall pick and Stephon Castle, the eventual rookie of the year, was the consensus best player remaining. The following year, the Spurs jumped up six spots to land the #2 overall pick and consensus best player remaining Dylan Harper.
San Antonio was out of the postseason for a total of six seasons.
The Thunder and the Spurs may meet in the Western Conference Finals and ignite what may become the best rivalry in the NBA over the next several seasons. There are several similarities between the two best teams in the league and they will be discussed ad nauseum.
But their paths to their current states of dominance is not one of them.