By James Mario Ajero
A new powerhouse rose in the Western Conference this season in the form of the Oklahoma City Thunder, who secured its first NBA finals berth since 2012.
Hunting down the wolves
Despite suffering a 42-point beatdown in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals, the Thunder completed a gentleman’s sweep of the Minnesota Timberwolves, courtesy of a 124-94 win in Game 5 at the Paycom Center.
The triad of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren was more than enough to stall the highly effective Wolves combo of Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who was recently bestowed with the 2024-25 regular season Most Valuable Player award, orchestrated OKC’s offense with 34 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds.
Although younger than their Timberwolves counterparts, the Thunder proved to be the hungrier bunch, clinching an early lead of 17 points in the first quarter of the game.
Shai’s presence was felt in 24 of OKC’s 26 first-quarter points. He also had five assists in the same period. Holmgren, meanwhile, dominated the paint with his 22 points and seven rebounds.
Williams followed suit – adding 19 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, showing that he has what it takes to be a potential third-scoring option in this OKC team.
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Possible Thunder dynasty?
Prior to Gilgeous-Alexander taking over the mantle, or even before the short-lived Chris Paul era – OKC was synonymous with three names: Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden.
With an average age of 24.2, the current Thunder squad is the second-youngest team to reach the finals in the past 70 years, behind only the 1976-77 Portland Trail Blazers.
Like the 2012 Thunder team (that had an average age of 25.7), this 2025 OKC team defied their naysayers who claimed they were too inexperienced to contend with the other grizzled playoff veterans in the west.
Gilgeous-Alexander leading the Thunder to the franchise’s first-ever Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy could be the good karma that avid OKC fans have been waiting for after going through collective heartbreak after their Big Three went separate ways.
Aside from their young core, the number of draft picks that OKC has at its disposal could make them a serious championship contender for years to come.
In a post on X, Underdog NBA reported that OKC has two 1st round picks and one in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft.
From 2026 to 2029, OKC has a total of four 1st-round picks and 11 second-round picks.
A horde of assets that could help them land another superstar, like Kawhi Leonard or Giannis Antetokounmpo.
If the Thunder win it all this year, it could mark the rise of a new NBA hegemon since 2015 – a team that has both the youth and talent to keep the league in check going forward.
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Newsjustnews writers 
Simon Wilkes