NBA, Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves
Digest more
Oklahoma City set the tone for the Western Conference Finals with a 114-88 plundering of the Timberwolves in Game 1. Things weren't quite as easy in Game 2, but the Thunder still beat Minnesota 118-103 behind 38 points from newly-crowned MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Svyato is an NBA writer at Athlon Sports, covering the Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, Sacramento Kings, Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, and Oklahoma City Thunder. His love for basketball is only rivaled by his love of Funko Pops.
There is someone who the Oklahoma City Thunder simply cannot stop. They simultaneously send multiple players — sometimes about half the roster, it seems — to try to derail him. They surround him.
Conventional wisdom in the NBA is veteran-laden teams typically do best come playoff time. The Timberwolves and the New York Knicks, two of the other conference finalists, have rosters with average experience in the top half of the NBA. Oklahoma City, meanwhile, entered the season with the lowest average age and least experience of any roster.