Post Text on the Suns v Thunder Sweep '25-'26 NBA Season

A series I paid little attention to, and I suspect, though it might just be algorithms, few people did. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder do not strike me as a fun team to watch win. SGA is not awarded as many free throws as Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers, but as the reigning finals MVP, SGA appears to be of the modern point guard mould, which is being known for flopping and shooting 3s sooner than passing or running an offense.

The Pheonix Suns are also, simply, not that team anyone wants to see swept. I don't mind Booker, I think he actually has the right idol and the right attitude. I love Brooks because he is the most forward in treating Lebron with the respect Lebron actually deserves. They are also a franchise of good character throughout all their notable eras. The team of Barkley and KJ and Nash. There's no schadenfreude in seeing the Suns get swept, it is simply, disappointing.

Disappointing but not interesting. That for me is the most noteworthy thing. It doesn't bode well for the sport when the least talked about team is the presumptive champion. I think they are secondary Spurs team, given that Duncan's finals appearances were often the lowest rated series this century, even his 2 beatdowns and 1 loss to Lebron James teams. But curiously, the contemporary San Antonio Spurs are a more interesting team than the Oklahoma City Thunder what with having Victor Wembanyama who is like a modern Kareem Abdul Jabbar, but less durable.

Not to use gamer speak, but I think there is something fundamentally broken in the Oklahoma City Thunder's basketball. It's broken in the sense that I suspect SGA is both their best player and entirely irrelevant. Like, if tomorrow the shocking news came through that SGA had injured himself eating poutine and was out for the rest of the post-season, I think the OKC would still be championship contenders. But not because they are a super team. They are more like a German World Cup soccer team, unremarkably good.

In the meantime, the Suns are I feel, objectively more interesting. They are rebuilding after Durant and helping to expose KDs white-elephant/poison chalice legacy. They fought hard to get 6 more games than the regular 82, losing the 7th seed to Portland Trailblazers before ending the Golden State Warriors season who I think would also have been annihilated by the OKC. 

I feel as the only team who will get swept in round 1, they weren't the most deserving of a sweep, and it bares acknowledging that it took 84 games to get to that sweep. Life is cruel, even to millionaires like Devin Booker.