For weeks now — honestly, months — I’ve had an internal debate: Will the Oklahoma City Thunder be competitive this season?
Logic and recency bias dictate no, but the Thunder had a 20-27 at the end of March and were closer to a play-in spot than the best draft odds. It took effort from the front office to stop Mark Daigneault and Co. from winning.
At the start of a new season, with clear eyes and a full bill of health, will the Thunder be good again? Or were they playing above their level when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was on the court during the first half of the 2021 season?
To attempt to find a conclusion, my optimistic and pessimistic sides are going to have an argument. Kind of like Shea Serrano’s old Good Cop/Bad Cop articles, only less fun and clever because I am not, unfortunately, Shea Serrano.
Let’s argue: Can the Thunder be any good in the 2021-22 season?
