At a recent match between the Milwaukee Bucks and Oklahoma City Thunder, a notable passive interaction between former teammates Patrick Beverley of the Bucks and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from the Thunder has made headlines.
Milwaukee Bucks’ guard Patrick Beverley told Shai Gilgeous-Alexander they wouldn’t face off in June as the Thunder is “too young” for the title.
During the post-match encounter, SGA, Oklahoma City’s star player, told Beverley that they would see one another in the June finals.
But Beverley shot him down, stating his belief that the Thunder is not ready for such a high stakes competition.
“‘Alright, I got you, see y’all in June,'” the Bucks guard said, detailing his conversation with Shai. “‘Nah, y’all ain’t gonna make it.’ … Too young. It’s just tough to beat Denver. That’s all. It’s no discredit to any team.”
SLINK! pic.twitter.com/VUa94ZQ1OQ
— Pat Bev Pod (@PatBevPod) March 30, 2024
Despite Beverley’s skepticism, Oklahoma City Thunder has proven its worth by emerging as one of the leading squads in the Western Conference.
Their impressive performance throughout the 2023-24 season has indeed caught many off guard.
Denver Nuggets. Their youth, with an average age below 23, is seen as both their strength and weakness, with less experience to tackle the likes of Nikola Jokic and teams of the Nuggets’ stature.
Despite Thunder’s 3-1 edge over the Nuggets in the regular season, playoffs are a different playing field.
No doubt the pressure and responsibilities are magnified. Perhaps SGA and Beverley might meet again, but in Cancun, and not in the Finals.
The Bucks, on the other hand, seem to have better odds to reach the Finals than Thunder, owing to the arguably easier competition in the East.
Furthermore, they don’t face the daunting task of playing against the Nuggets, which Thunder might have to, on their potential road to the Finals.
With the playoffs starting in less than a month, here are the top teams with the best odds to win the NBA Finals 🏆
(odds via @BetMGM) pic.twitter.com/AlkaoXA3uu
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) March 26, 2024
Paying due respect to the Thunder, Beverley stated that his comments do not discredit any team.
His reservations about the Thunder’s championship chances stem from his experiences and understanding of the game.
