In the latest episode of the Draymond Green Show, the 4x NBA champion got real on why he has doubts about the Oklahoma City Thunder as contenders in the West. According to Green, their post-game tradition of talking to the media together made it so that they aren’t widely feared by the competition.
“The one thing I see about the OKC team that’s alarming to me is their postgame,” said Green. “Seven guys in the interview. There’s a certain seriousness it takes to win in this league. And there’s a certain fear you have to instill in teams in order to win. I just don’t know if they’re instilling that fear in teams with all the bromance and stuff after the game.”
As a 4x NBA champion, Draymond Green knows more than most about what it takes to win and he knows that how the opponent perceives you can often have a big impact on the final results. The best teams always strike fear in their opponents, like Dray’s Warriors did during the peak of their run.
As good as the Thunder are currently, their current reputation leaves them somewhat vulnerable, and not everyone appreciates their habit of doing post-game media interviews together instead of letting one player handle the process on their own. It’s a nice gesture and a sign of positive locker room chemistry but it comes across as unprofessional to some critics.
For Green, their whole dynamic as a team isn’t something that he finds even remotely intimidating and I’m sure he’s not alone. Typically, the NBA’s true title contenders take themselves very seriously and operate with a level of ruthless determination that intimidates their opponents. This was exactly the case for teams like the ’90s Bulls, the 2000s Lakers, and the “Big Three” Miami Heat with Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh.
For this young Thunder team, it just hasn’t been the case. Despite strong play on the court, they finished with the best record in the West last season, their brotherly camaraderie and overall laid-back demeanor do not instill the kind of fear that you’d typically see from the NBA’s top teams.
Of course, only time will tell what kind of threat the Thunder pose but there is no denying their abundance of talent. With MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the show, the Oklahoma City Thunder have a good chance to subvert expectations and validate their first-place finish last season.
This season through four games, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 26.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game on 42.7% shooting. His numbers are down across the board but it’s barely made a difference for the Thunder who are one of the only two undefeated teams left in the NBA.
Between Shai, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, and Lu Dort, the Thunder have a solid core of veteran stars and not many teams in the league have a lineup that can keep up with the best Thunder unit. But without the “fear factor” every championship squad needs, the Thunder are working at a major disadvantage and they may have to alter some of their normal routines in order to change the narrative.
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