The New York Knicks are NBA champions, but not everyone is ready to call them the best team in basketball. Speaking on First Take, Markieff Morris made it clear that while he respects what the Knicks accomplished, he still believes the Oklahoma City Thunder remain the team to beat heading into next season.
“It’s the Knicks’ day, so I really don’t want to go against them, but I have to go with OKC. They were the best team in the league last year. I’ve said this before and gotten a lot of criticism for it, but sometimes the best team doesn’t win. And that was the case this year. I always thought OKC was the best team.”
“They were down their second-best player. They were down their third-leading scorer. And they still took the Spurs to seven games throughout the playoffs. They dominated throughout the playoffs without Jalen Williams.”
“So if you ask me again, I’m loving the Knicks today, and I do not want to take away any of their glory. But I think OKC will come back as the number one team next year. And they have a lottery pick. So they’ll be able to add another young piece or make some moves before the draft to make their team better.”
It is a viewpoint that will probably spark debate among NBA fans, especially after New York ended its 53-year championship drought. However, Morris backed up his argument by pointing to Oklahoma City’s dominant regular season and the injuries that derailed its title defense.
The Thunder finished with the NBA’s best record at 64-18 and entered the playoffs as the clear championship favorites. They owned the league’s top defense by a significant margin and had one of the deepest rosters in basketball. For much of the season, they looked unstoppable.
Oklahoma City swept both the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers in the opening rounds of the playoffs before running into Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals.
That series ultimately went seven games. What makes the Thunder’s run even more impressive is the fact that they were nowhere near full strength.
Jalen Williams, widely viewed as the team’s second-best player, appeared in only 33 regular-season games because of injuries. He played in just five playoff games and only three against San Antonio. Two of those appearances lasted fewer than 11 minutes. Despite missing a player of Williams’ caliber for most of the year, Oklahoma City still pushed the Spurs to the limit.
The Thunder also lost Ajay Mitchell during the series. Mitchell had become a key contributor throughout the playoffs, averaging 15.1 points, 4.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.5 steals while shooting 46.0% from the field. His injury forced him to miss the final four games against San Antonio, further weakening an already shorthanded roster.
That context is why Morris believes Oklahoma City was still the best team in basketball.
“I don’t think the best team won. I think OKC was the best team. They had the best regular season. They were the best team throughout the entire year and lost in Game 7 to a team that was without its second-best player. So no, I don’t think they came into the playoffs healthy.”
“Jalen Williams was injured for almost the entire season. And to still be as successful as they were without their second-best player, I’m pretty sure OKC was the best team.”
There is certainly logic behind that argument.
The Knicks deserve all the credit in the world for winning the championship. Jalen Brunson captured Finals MVP honors, OG Anunoby delivered one of the most iconic plays in franchise history, and New York completed an incredible playoff run.
But Oklahoma City’s season cannot be ignored simply because it ended in disappointment. The Thunder still have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in his prime. Williams should return healthy. Chet Holmgren is coming off an All-Star season that included All-NBA Third Team and All-Defensive First Team honors. They also own a lottery pick and have enough assets to improve the roster even further.
That is why the recent trade ideas involving Holmgren and Williams make little sense. Breaking up one of the youngest and most talented cores in the NBA after a 64-win season would be a massive overreaction. The Thunder have already proven they can contend for a championship. Their biggest problem this year was health, not talent.
And that is the key point. The Knicks earned the title and deserve to celebrate it. But if Oklahoma City gets healthy and makes a few upgrades around the edges, there is a strong argument that the Thunder will enter next season as the favorites once again.
As Morris sees it, the championship belongs to New York. The title of best team in basketball still belongs to Oklahoma City.
