Why the Oklahoma City Thunder may be even better than we realize

What’s the verdict? Are the Thunder underrated?

The Oklahoma City Thunder are one of the more impressive teams in the NBA right now. They are terrific on both ends of the floor and the way they play is perfect for the postseason. On top of this, they have some incredible individual players, specifically Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. It’s hard to argue that SGA isn’t the MVP right now because he has been amazing on both ends of the floor and there aren’t many weaknesses in his game. Having an elite player like this with such a well-rounded supporting cast will give the Thunder a legitimate shot to win any playoff series.

There are issues with this team, though. A lack of size down low could hurt them in certain matchups and having a non-shooter like Josh Giddey in the starting lineup makes it easier for opposing defenses to play help defense and give more attention to the Thunder's other ball handlers. Also, I think their shot diet on both ends of the floor leaves them susceptible to poor shooting variance. However, there are too many reasons to believe that this team can make it deep into the playoffs.

It will be hard, though. The Thunder don’t have a ton of playoff experience and the Western Conference is stacked from top to bottom. We shouldn't be surprised if they get knocked out early, but we also shouldn’t be surprised if they are in the NBA Finals in June. They are an excellent team that looks ready to chase after a title even if the rest of the basketball world isn't there yet.