Why The Thunder Couldn’t Win A Championship

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[@iriscreamcoffee4749]

The follow up question on my mind is whether the conventional wisdom of "you need playoff scars" is really true or just a misconstruing of a reality that's more like "playoff scars are a natural consequence of teams usually taking longer to get this good".

[@Geneknowshoops]

Hmmm that’s a good question

[@tribalypredisposed]

Yes, but also the narrative ignores the role of coaches. We could also say the MJ did not win until Phil Jackson was his coach, LeBron didn’t win until Spoelstra was his coach, and both won the first year they had those coaches. Did the players learn how to win by gaining playoff scars, or did they learn to win by playing for all time great coaches? I think MJ has even more rings if Phil Jackson is his coach from the start.

[@G15FMC]

I think the scars come from challenging opponents who had the experience needed to don't do the same mistakes that a inexperienced team usually does. Mistakes like relax after 2x0, or take for granted a win when there is a great lead before the fourth period, or to insist in a tactical approach already countered by the adversary. If, by some way, the young team evade mistakes like that, they can win. But the natural is that they need to learn through bad experiences. The coach has a main role in this process. About the video, I want the OKC wins, but I don't think they'll do. Against the Mavericks, Wolves or Nuggets, the games would be very different to this round.

[@Smido83]

@@tribalypredisposed Spo was a young coach back then... and they lost the 1st year to the Mavs/Carlisle. The team, as well as Spo and his coaching staff, learned from that. Not to mention the top players on both teams you mentioned already had a lot of PO experience. Basically noone on the Thunder (SGA/Dort one PO round and Hayward as the 9th guy) has any real PO experience at all.

[@Smido83]

No, at some point experience will allways play a role. I will even say that the 2nd round, no matter if Clippers or Mavs, will be a huge problem. Both teams are deep and have proven vets who know how to use the smallest flaws to their advantage. Then the Nuggets, then the Celtics... I just cant see the Thunder winning a chip this year. They will learn, come back and be better.

[@simonkingi01]

Sam Presti has all the playoff scars, you can tell he's learnt a lot from that first go around with Russ n KD.

[@bluntsessions3577]

That would be fitting of Sga gets snubbed for mvp then he takes finals mvp

[@slideman1249]

He didn’t get snubbed he simply just isn’t the mvp lmao

[@Superiorchicken380]

@@slideman1249fr I don’t understand how sga finished before Luka

[@riddlesugg4756]

@@Superiorchicken380 Consistency. From the START of the season. Not the last 5 weeks. Luka is money but look at the season results.

[@Superiorchicken380]

@@riddlesugg4756 yea very true but I think Luka is the better player

[@somesun3418]

@@riddlesugg4756 Luka has been consistent though. Mavs were plagued with injures, most of the early half of the season.

[@victordunn20]

Ironically the 2013 Heat won the title off of a game saving rebound

[@Geneknowshoops]

Mannnn😂😂😂

[@BlueGrovyle]

They _saved_ their chance to win the title. They still had to win OT and a whole game 7.

[@lizmclaughlin3103]

5 players on OKC were in the FIBA World Cup last summer. That’s equal to playoff experience.

[@fluffyninja28]

Shai , lu , josh , who were the other 2??

[@yetekt6953]

@@fluffyninja28I think Ousmane and Bismarck were

[@stephenchen1420]

Giddey (Australia), SGA, Dort (Canada), Holmgren was on "USA Select" scrimmaging against the main team - who else? Bertans (Latvia) & Pokusevski (Serbia), but they've been traded away. Dieng was on "France Select".

[@trevorbridgewater4451]

@@stephenchen1420 jalen williams was on the usa select team too

[@jaebuudhatv8514]

It's not the same tho best game of 7 we're u can lock in on ur opponent

[@robertridley6966]

OKC fan here! Excellent well done vid and a great take on my Thunder! TTFU SGA=MVP

[@Geneknowshoops]

SGA IS THE MVP

[@remideas3022]

Luka>>>SGA

[@TexanByNature88]

@@remideas3022In your dreams

[@dylansmith1851]

​@remideas3022 you never see sga crying like bitch

[@TooJesT1]

@@TexanByNature88 yeah, some people still asleep for sure

[@rustytv3023]

If you get more steals and better possessions , then you can win without higher rebounds.

[@kristoffereberius2476]

Agreed, not to mention modern rebounding stats are a joke. I'd love to see the number of times shit clocks have ran out or steals/intercepts on second possessions etc. would be interesting to see.

[@bigdaddydzzzzzz]

Yep. Mark has talked about this so many times but people just ignore it. Lead the league in deflections, turnovers caused. We did it in round 1 as well.

[@AiirxGeordan]

I think the playoff scars and playoff experience is just a mentality thing. It doesn’t grant you immunity to fouls, or give you an automatic shooters roll, but that mentality of “I’m not going out like this again” or “I want to feel like I’m on top of the world like I did last time I won”. The kind of resolve lebron had to come back 3-1, when he (and by extension the rest of the cavs, don’t wanna discredit the rest) could have easily said “eh we tried, nobody else could do it so we’ll get ‘em next year”. That said, how epic would it be for okc to go from 10th seed missing the playoffs to 57 wins 1st seed and win a championship with the youngest championship team of all time, in a matter of an off season? And for the people licking their chops to see them get beat, like Presti said, this is an arrival not an appearance. As good as they are and as fluid and cohesive as they play now, they have plenty of time to get better together.

[@kalistogaheta8802]

Amen couldn’t have said it any better

[@also3254]

This came along my TL due to the algorithm and I salute your take on my Thunder. Smart take. Looking forward to seeing you grow. NEW sub here.

[@Geneknowshoops]

Much love

[@briansynnott3228]

Love this content Gene.Well researched and offered plausible scenarios either way.Experience and execution under pressure are seemly prerequisites for success but firsts in sport do happen.

[@Geneknowshoops]

Much appreciated

[@TheMiddaydreamers]

Correlation doesn't always mean causation. Being older, having experience in the playoffs, having playoff scars, etc, certainty helps, but it doesn't mean you have to have those things to win. If playoff scars and experience were so important, then what about all these teams who go into the playoffs year after year and never get close to winning? In the end, having a great team is what it comes down to. The rest is just top dressing.

[@Deluxe_Banjos]

Lebron about to hop ship and try to join The Thunder..😂 we don't want that.

[@darrellgouch2675]

We do want lebron lol

[@mrpianist9243]

you're such an underrated basketball channel m8!! you earned a sub 💯

[@Bigbagofgamer]

This was a very well-made video, Im sure you'll eaarn momre subs if you keep this quality up!!

[@Geneknowshoops]

Appreciate you 🙏🏾

[@west1788]

yea no cap i gotta feelin he gonna be on sum mike korzemba shi soon

[@unk6156]

Great job on this one…keep up the good work…thank you sir

[@Geneknowshoops]

No Thank you

[@arashkordi7771]

They are a steven adams or dwight howard short. Thats the only thing stopping them from being truly succesfull. Nuggets and Jokic being their biggest obstacle.

[@Wrestle_Kingdom]

Steven adams and Dwight would not make okc better

[@someones_here]

@@Wrestle_Kingdomthey don’t have a center. Nuggets/Timberwolves have more size which was exposed last year

[@Wrestle_Kingdom]

@@someones_here you cannot be serious you’re using last year as an example when okc last year didn’t have chet plus okc,min,and Den are different teams this year That like comparing the 2020 clippers and the 2020 mavs to see who would win in this year playoffs Also if you want to go base off last year in the regular season this year in the regular season okc beat Denver 3-1,and two of those was with jokic and 2-2 against Timberwolves were one game it came down to Tory brown jr going off

[@someones_here]

@@Wrestle_Kingdom you misinterpreted by point. Denver exposed every team they faced because those teams didn’t have a center. And you really think Chet is going to be able to guard Jokic come playoffs?

[@Wrestle_Kingdom]

@@someones_here nobody can guard jokic idk why y’all use that argument because of Anthony Davis and Rudy gobert can’t do it than nobody can it not about stopping jokic it about slowing the Denver team down Also your argument of using last year was still bad because last year our roster wasn’t the same, same goes for the Denver and Minnesota so trying to use last year roster for either team is bad to evaluate how they play in the playoffs this year

[@bigfan2452]

This was an interesting video and this is the first time I saw your video so I immediately subscribed to your channel. I believe the lack of experience for Thunders will be a liability for them during their playoff run. They will either be eliminated in round 2 or in the conference finals. I do not see them going into the finals.

[@Geneknowshoops]

Thank you for the sub🙏🏾

[@Greenlantern5783]

As a thunder fan I’m happy to see them winning and would be happy with a wcf appearance . The teams feels deeper and better then the group with kd and Russ im just here to enjoy them while I can but feel they are one rebounding post away from taking over

[@FacePlant1324]

I absolutely love the Thunder I think they are being slept on because of the lack of experience stuff. Like Kevin Garnet said "Anything is Possible!"

[@Geneknowshoops]

Anything is possible!!!

[@21silvermoon]

Exactly!!

[@asaplos8128]

Great video!

[@flashrufa6306]

That was a great and well educated and unbiased assessment of OKC. Yes i follow OKC. Yes i agree with about 99% of what have said. Well done. I enjoyed it

[@Geneknowshoops]

Thank you🙏🏾

[@seancampbell414]

Amazing video man!

[@Geneknowshoops]

Thank you

[@heyhowareyoy6355]

Gene really knows hoops!

[@abhayb.6289]

Nice channel. Keep up the great work you will go far

[@Geneknowshoops]

Much appreciated

[@JackDaker]

100% agree. Its just these younglings inexperience in the playoffs. Thats why everyone think they cant win it all. OKC is my favorite team and I also have doubts...but that would be so wonderful if this team prove me and everyone else wrong. It would be history in the making.

[@Geneknowshoops]

It would be one of the best titles in recent years

[@west1788]

yo great video ngl.. i thought this was made by a channel with a few million subscribers lmao

[@Geneknowshoops]

Much love

[@M-su4mh]

It's going to be interesting to see how the Thunder do during these playoffs. I truly believe they have a very good chance to make it to the Western Conference Finals but anything beyond that is very uncertain due to the caliber of teams they'd be playing.

[@alexhesseen3914]

Idk about the rest of the team but age is definitely just a number for Josh Giddey

[@Geneknowshoops]

😂😂😂😂

[@samdaehyun9736]

just discovered your channel, love it, great job......👌

[@Geneknowshoops]

Much love man

[@jimevert7099]

The problem is there are a couple teams they do not match up well with in a seven-game series. This team is still missing a piece it is glaringly obvious. I think they messed up their plan not knowingly. They drafted j-dub to be a hybrid four. And use giddy as a point forward 3. Turns out j-dub is a perfect 3 and compliment SGA so much. There is nothing wrong with giddy. He doesn't mesh with the way the team developed. So he's getting tons of rebounds . What they need to do is swap out giddy for a baseline running moderate 3-point shooter baseline rimrocker and possible backup center. You add this is one of the most complete teams I've ever seen it'll be a championship contender till 30.

[@trumpies]

yes comeback to this after they win it all

[@vmofficial9]

Luka: "And I took that personally"

[@seauxphiesanders7289]

OKC coach Mark said it best, age is different from maturity.

[@Geneknowshoops]

Very true

[@Jakuboooooooooo]

This is our year, I can feel it.

[@riddlesugg4756]

I'm loving the JT minutes comp. He obviously has been overworked. With all those mins he's going to burn out!

[@Geneknowshoops]

He needs to win with all this experience 😭

[@someones_here]

What we’re seeing now is the new gen of players. Ones that get personal training from pro coachs since birth and have thousands of hours of experience just going into their teen years.

[@colevt]

The NBA is looking great right now. There are so many good young teams: Timberwolves, Thunder, and the Pacers.

[@cmac9141]

Thunder up baby!! ⚡️ ⚡️

[@Allnonym0u5]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="320">5:20</a> The Nuggets are still around with their last year's championship squad and they just disposed of the GOAT LBJ and his partner A.D.

[@hanschristopherson8056]

Next round going to be very interesting both the clippers and mavs have lots of playoff experience

[@Geneknowshoops]

Yes should be a good series

[@nickalexander1825]

this video was dope af

[@Geneknowshoops]

Thank you

[@alimfuzzy]

Maybe Im reading this wrong, shouldnt the 1977 Blazers dot be on the left?

[@Demontri]

love the vid!

[@Geneknowshoops]

Thank you

[@metsrus]

What was the "WAGE" for the other OKC Thunder team that made the 2012 NBA finals? Can't imagine it being that much higher than the current Thunder team.

[@TexanByNature88]

Good question but it wouldn’t matter because that team did not win one. This OKC team legit has a chance. I can see them beating anyone. I wanna see if they have that next gear for round 2.

[@metsrus]

@@TexanByNature88 yeah they didn't win, but I remember them being a pretty young team that beat some perennial powerhouses in the west including the Spurs, Lakers, and Mavs (who were all champions within the 2-3 year range of 2012)...showing youthful talent can triumph over experience and that close to winning it all.

[@Geneknowshoops]

That’s a good question, I’m curious

[@metsrus]

@@Geneknowshoops I read somewhere that 2012 Thunder team was the 2nd youngest team ever to make it to the finals. So it might be interesting to research the WAGE of that team.

[@whamo3458]

Very well done!

[@Geneknowshoops]

Thank you very much!

[@TriippyHiippy98]

Lets go! I appreciate the Thunder content! Keep it coming! No one talks about us enough and if they do, they doubt us ⚡️🦬

[@samgrassman859]

To piggy back off of the rebounds- the thunder are still 15th in the league in fga/per game. We make up for our lack or rebounding by forcing the most turnovers in the league.

[@levi_sladen]

Nice vid bro

[@Geneknowshoops]

Thank you

[@MeNoWorryYouNoWorry]

Rebounds don't really matter that much when you can force the other team to make mistakes every time they go down the floor.

[@Geneknowshoops]

Great point!

[@user-tn7by5vh6s]

let's go OKC Thunder

[@MrE_]

I don't really think it's about what the thunder lack, it's more about what the other teams this year have. Nuggets and Celtics should be the favorites by far, and I don't see the thunder making it far against them

[@dreadpiratekiel]

Good break down, sub for more Thunder content. I just gotta say, don't give me that hope. TTFU!

[@Geneknowshoops]

Thank you 🙏🏾

[@Optimator7]

Great video.

[@LincolnAKAVenox]

Chet and J dub both looked like they stepped on a lego in the thumbnail

[@Geneknowshoops]

😂😂😂

[@zsomborszigeti6797]

They are an amazing team, to me a top 5 team in the league, atleast if Embiid is not 100%, and even then I'm not sure that I'd take the mavs over them. With that being said, I really think that Denver's just a nightmare matchup for them and I don't see a world where they get past a healthy Denver unless a miracle happens. I would say that they could beat any other team though.

[@61Wolves-yt4yk]

Great points...

[@danielwolfgang5853]

Young and hungry teams can be even more dangerous in my opinion

[@Geneknowshoops]

Very true

[@senorprepotente]

Everybody called Mark boring for his interview on TNT but missed the point. And i think this team has been underrated all season in the sense they are a young team but operate like they’ve been there. Their approach to stacking the days, stacking possessions and staying present in the moment has kept them from playing like a young team. You see it in the progression of not just Shai but the entire roster. Boston the only team I’d be worried about but that’s why they play the games.

[@masonknowsball]

At some point we have to ask ourselves… what is playoff experience? How valuable is it really?

[@Smido83]

Can? Yes! Every team in the PO CAN theoretically win the championship. Is it LIKELY? Not really. Throughout history experience allways played a big role. The 2011 Thunder for example were a great young team, but Dallas had the experience. And experience becomes more and more important the deeper you go into the PO. Just look at the coming teams. Cleveland/Dallas both have deep teams with experienced players. After that they will meet the Nuggets (best Starting 5 in the league and defending champion), or the Wolves (most likely), whos best player is also young, but he has lots of PO vets around him. And then in the Finals most likely the Celtics, who are also extremely experienced. So I give them a 5% Chance to overcome all those teams in the next 3 PO rounds. Not including injuries of course.

[@wolfbane610]

They will win the championship if there aren't any major injuries.

[@tribalypredisposed]

The ball doesn’t know their age or playoff experience. The only reason I see to doubt OKC this year is that Denver and Minnesota are both really good teams capable of beating OKC, and then the Celtics are decent too. That said, it may be an advantage being so young; they can pretty safely assume they will have a lot more cracks at it and not feel much pressure. The other factor is that this team has so many shooters, guys around forty percent from three, that it is not an issue if one or two have an off night, and dunking is not effected by nerves or whatever. And the number of shooters and deep bench, and built in mismatches like Chet, means opponents have a harder time figuring OKC out and locking them down as series go on. Not saying OKC takes this, Denver in their primes all five starters with some greats like Jokic, Celtics dominated the NBA this season and super good on defense, but I don’t think any other team has a better chance, maybe an equal chance but not better.

[@Jillywingo331]

Hats off to the '77 Blazers that managed to win the title in 2015 <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="23">0:23</a>

[@ajgraham6805]

I was very confused by this as well. Made me question the whole chart

[@heyitspumpkinz7255]

Walmart jxmy 😭

[@kenwowentertainment4895]

After 84 games, you still ask this question? If you do not have the answer by now, you will never know.

[@johnnyparrish2443]

and we have all the draft picks!! okc gonna win like 10 chips

[@morgan2552t]

I just don't believe okc will get deeper in the playoffs and forget how to shoot the ball and forget how to play defense. In fact most experienced and older playoff teams don't win the championship either!

[@willsmith8586]

Good video

[@Geneknowshoops]

Appreciate it!

[@threeswillis7791]

The Thunder are forreal. Instead of picking up Gordon Hayward, they need a player with physicality. Beef Stewart would have been perfect.

[@TylerManter-ng9xm]

Yes

[@mr.kwamid-86_43]

not for giggity giddey goo ;)

[@sanket518]

Loved the video Shai should be the MVP

[@Geneknowshoops]

I hope he wins

[@chriseichholz7051]

The gotta get through the Nuggets and then the Celtics so no

[@plugarrett]

Rebounds are very overrated if your strength is fast breaks and turnovers, as well as effecient defense/offense in half court

[@Geneknowshoops]

Good point

[@someones_here]

It’s not just age, it’s the matchups. I don’t know how okc will play against Jokic & Gobert in a 7 game series. That’s a big weak spot that we saw exposed with every team the nuggets played last year.

[@gj1234567899999]

There is quite a bit of difference between 22 and 26. A typical 22 year old could have just graduated college and started their first job. That 22 year old may not even filed taxes by themselves yet. At 26 that same 22 year old has 4 years of work experience and could have been promoted and given responsibility over others. They have been paying taxes, maybe even gotten married or had their first child. So a huge difference in experience and maturity between 22 and 26.

[@AlecarMagna]

Your brain isn't even fully developed until 25.

[@Geneknowshoops]

Basically still college students

[@salbenrosli707]

Why not?

[@peacembhiza1552]

Can ya'll define "playoff experience" 😅uhmm suns have a lot of that but are being smacked by the wolves (who, according to many sources that tried to hype the suns up, didn't have enough playoff experience prior to the matchup) and it's not even close

[@Geneknowshoops]

That’s called a poorly built teams

[@EmilioQuintana-qo4cn]

Boricua Hispanic India n black iam . They might win the championship, Toronto raptors was like that n the year 2019 Toronto won . You never know, anything might happen. OkC is my favorite team.

[@Its_just_me_again]

great vid - well researched / presented. ty - #giddeyup

[@Geneknowshoops]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@garretttank1711]

I think they win it next year. If they manage to do so, they will still be the youngest team ever to win a chip LOL

[@Geneknowshoops]

I believe so

[@Poaf-1]

You ppl will not understand okc going to ship

[@TooJesT1]

too young is a non factor. i wonder if mike tyson said im too young to be champion.

[@Kmartinusa888]

I bet $500 at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="1081">18:1</a> that they’d win it all. I didn’t necessarily believe that they would do it but I sure believed that they had a better than <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="1081">18:1</a> shot. Bad bet? We will see but I still believe <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="1081">18:1</a> wasn’t the right number. Maybe <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="481">8:1</a>, not 18.

[@michaelharms9404]

Told you in 2018 to watch out for Jokic. Now he has outed Bron in two straight years... @Geneknowshoops. #WIU

[@Geneknowshoops]

Omg, I remember that. You were right

[@peterkomendowski4480]

@@Geneknowshoops You are awesome to watch... Keep it up. Also I want a video on how many players have won NBA championships with only 1 allstar (DeAndre Jordon doesn't play enough to qualify)... if the Nuggets get there. I think Houston did it with Olojuwan but had Clyde in his later years, but still played quality minutes Jokic for MVP

[@KeemOakes]

This dudes look like shai

[@Geneknowshoops]

Lmaoo

[@No1Armadillo]

ummmm....... no!

[@sfdko3291]

Too young? I'll say this, all the impactful older players are way past their prime. If there was an era in which the young guys could win, it'd be this one.

[@bassamsuleman8303]

Commenting 4 the algo 🫡

[@Wallett]

Y’all are delusional about the okc thunder they ain’t winning. They ain’t getting out of the west due to Denver or Wolves. Both teams are Bette then OKC, not record wise but I see them losing in 6 in western conference finals

[@haraldhardrade7539]

Nope, they will get destroyed by Mavs in semi

[@kobepi236]

No

[@Geneknowshoops]

Lmaooo

[@daviddickerson9922]

age never stopped josh giddey

[@daudimasinde6280]

Giggidy Giddey.

[@Geneknowshoops]

Lmaooo

[@robertkennett4622]

"Both ends of the basketball"? A basketball does not have any ends. Perhaps you were trying to say, "Both ends of the court", but were going too fast. You can take your time; you'll get where you're going just the same. People are just in way too big a hurry nowadays. Slow down, enjoy things, see what's around you. Your blood pressure will go down and your doctor will congratulate you and you might get a grape or cherry sucker.

[@Geneknowshoops]

Sorry I speak fast, I’ll slow down

[@johnshottie4415]

Not in the west.

[@JOHN-HUBBELL]

lol no cuz the wolves are gonna win

[@ripito-eo6rh]

Nope

[@TrilogyDavis]

had to drop a like cause it was at 666.

[@Geneknowshoops]

Man thank you

[@randabeast]

Not beating the mavs

[@metsrus]

mavs shouldn't overlook the clippers, series still far from over.

[@TexanByNature88]

You Mav fans are so insecure 😂. Yes, OKC is going to beat the Mavs in 5 or 6 if they get pass the Clippers. Save this as a receipt 🧾

[@metsrus]

2-2

[@TexanByNature88]

@@metsrus He’s getting nervous now 😂

[@mathieumalecki6332]

let's not overreact, they're beating the PELICANS, without ZION 🤣🤣 chill

[@ScottRhodes-hu5jo]

They also finished with the one seed in the West and won the season series against Denver and Boston. No need to chill

[@47dynasty28]

Is it the thunders fault that Zion is hurt? No so why chill

[@TexanByNature88]

Salty asf 🧂

[@mathieumalecki6332]

Thunder fans are funny asl 🤣

[@47dynasty28]

@@mathieumalecki6332 who’s got the funny looking face in ur pfp