"Now, that still might tell us something about Oklahoma City's chances of winning the title. The Thunder did suffer through similar slumps in the 2025 playoffs, shooting 34% from 3-point range, a big reason they needed to go the distance to beat both Denver and Indiana. It's possible that shotmaking variance and the risk of injuries to stars puts an upper bound on how high any team's title chances can be in the modern NBA."
"Kram: Like Vegas, I'd take the field over the Thunder at this point. It's a narrow decision, but until Jalen Williams proves he's healthy and that his shooting form has fully recovered -- he has made only 30% of his 3-point attempts this season, with a much lower volume than last season -- I'll remain a tad worried about Oklahoma City's secondary scoring beyond Shai Gilgeous-Alexander."
"Moreover, the other important recent development that sways me toward the field is the Denver Nuggets' run during Nikola Jokic's absence due to a hyperextended left knee. The Nuggets are a surprising 7-4 without the three-time MVP, who has missed the past few weeks with a knee injury. If the likes of Peyton Watson (22.5 PPG during that stretch), Jalen Pickett and Zeke Nnaji can carry any of their recent gains over to the postseason, then Denver could be just as strong as Oklahoma City when fully healthy."
Oklahoma City struggled with 34% three-point shooting in the 2025 playoffs, forcing extended series against Denver and Indiana. Shotmaking variance and star injury risk limit maximum title probabilities in the modern NBA. DraftKings lists Oklahoma City at +115, leaving the field favored over the Thunder. Jalen Williams has made only 30% of his three-point attempts this season with much lower volume than last season, raising concerns about secondary scoring beyond Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Denver went 7-4 without Nikola Jokic, and contributors like Peyton Watson, Jalen Pickett and Zeke Nnaji could make Denver equally dangerous when fully healthy. The Spurs and Rockets also present matchup risks.
Read at ESPN.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]