The Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder are presently the defending champions of the NBA.
Led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the OKC Thunder have been unstoppable within the 2025 NBA playoffs. Actually, the Thunder grew to become the second-youngest group in league historical past to win all of it.
With a roster so younger, Thunder followers predict to win a number of titles within the coming years, together with repeating as champions.
Nevertheless, former Boston Celtics star Blake Griffin doesn’t imagine the Thunder will make it out of the Western Convention subsequent season.
Throughout the 2025 postseason, the 2 groups that gave the Thunder essentially the most hassle have been the Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers.
OKC gained’t face the Pacers within the playoffs except Indy makes it out of the Japanese Convention. With Tyrese Haliburton’s harm and Myles Turner’s departure, it’s laborious to see that taking place.
However within the West, Griffin thinks the Nuggets might give OKC a run for his or her cash.
“I’ll provide you with a sizzling take. I feel Denver will get to the Finals within the West. I feel Denver obtained higher this summer time, they usually took Oklahoma Metropolis to seven video games,” Griffin mentioned on the Publish Strikes podcast.
With Nikola Jokic nonetheless in his prime and the Nuggets bettering their roster within the offseason, it’s believable that they remove the Thunder come playoff time if the 2 groups meet.
Let’s not neglect the Nuggets pushed the Thunder to seven video games with a struggling roster and a rookie head coach.
Except for the Nuggets and Thunder, there are a plethora of championship contenders within the West. However what in regards to the East?
With the Pacers and Boston Celtics dropping contender standing and the Milwaukee Bucks dropping Damian Lillard, which group might advance to the 2026 NBA Finals from the East?
“I feel it’s New York [Knicks] or Cleveland [Cavaliers] within the East. I’ll take New York. So I’ll go Knicks-Denver,” Griffin predicted.
A Nuggets vs New York Knicks NBA Finals sequence might hold NBA followers on the sting of their seats. It’ll seemingly convey immense income for the league as nicely. So, it’s actually not an outlandish take.
