Tim Legler names three teams he is putting ahead of OKC for the 2025 championship

As NBA training camp quickly approaches, the excitement for the 2024–25 season intensifies. It’s clear that both the Eastern and Western Conferences are positioned for years of tight finishes, especially the West, with teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves just now entering their championship window.

For many, the Thunder are on an elevated scale considering their youth, core talent, and the historic season they are coming off of. For others, some conversations are a little too premature for the Bricktown boys, who have just one year of elite basketball under their belt.

Not quite there?

The start of the NBA season won’t crush debates about who the best in the West is. It’s a conversation fans and pundits will have until someone escapes the bloodbath in May with a conference championship.

However, some experts, like ESPN’s Tim Legler, are here to give his final word now, yes, an entire six weeks before the ball is thrown up in the air on opening night.

“You saw what happened a year ago; they [the Thunder] won a first-round series [and] weren’t really a match for Dallas [in the semifinals],” said the analyst . “Those guys, I think, are maybe a year or two away from being exactly what Shai Gilgeous-Alexander needs next to him to make a legitimate run through the Western Conference. I would still put Dallas, Denver, Minnesota as favorites ahead of Oklahoma City to represent the West for a championship.”

Many in favor of the Thunder are confident that the moves they made this summer — adding Alex Caruso via trade and Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency — are two powerhouse moves that will patch the team’s few remaining weaknesses and provide virtually unmatchable depth. There are a ton of different lineups the Thunder can try. Whether it is shooting-focused, defensive, versatile, athletic, you name it.

As far as youth potentially holding Oklahoma City back, last season’s 57 wins demonstrated that the franchise is ahead of schedule. While they lost to Dallas in six games, the series was remarkably close and quite possibly would have had a different outcome if the Thunder had a guy like Hartenstein to pull down rebounds and prevent second-chance points for the opposition.

As it will for the entire conference, next season will be a test for OKC. This is expected to be Year 1 of a potentially decade-long title window for the team.

Related: Here’s how Oklahoma City can have their way with the Denver Nuggets next season