ESPN's Tim MacMahon added: "Honestly, I talked to a lot of people around the Western Conference too, and I talked to coaches on other teams that have been in the playoff mix, and there is not this great fear of the Oklahoma City Thunder, whether there should or should not be."
That relative lack of experience, coupled with the Thunder's second-round exit from the 2024 playoffs after entering the postseason as a No. 1 seed, has apparently left opponents unconvinced Oklahoma City is the team to beat.