The Oklahoma City Thunder are on pace to clinch the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference for the second straight season, and not only have they received the backing of Stephen A. Smith to do so, but the ESPN analyst believes they have “no excuse” not to win the NBA championship.
However, he also highlighted a major issue that could hurt the Thunder in the postseason.
“No Excuse” – Stephen A. Smith Boldly Predicts OKC Thunder Will Win NBA Championship
The Thunder are led by MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who leads the league in scoring with over 32 points per game. Oklahoma City’s defense has been just as dominant, with a 105.4 defensive rating—the best in the league by nearly four points—which has propelled them to a 49-11 record.
Smith is highly optimistic about the Thunder’s chances of winning both the Western Conference and the NBA championship. He explained his reasoning during a recent episode of NBA on ESPN.
“They have got a superstar in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who leads the league in scoring with over 32 a game and have got a top-ranked defense. I need everybody to sit back and pause while I read these statistics to you.
“The OKC is first in defensive efficiency, field goal percentage defense, 3-point percentage defense, turnovers forced per game, points per game, deflections per game, and loose balls recovered per game. No. 1 in every single one of those categories. You talk about winning a championship, that’s what you gotta do.”
.@stephenasmith says "there's no excuse for [the Thunder] not to win" the NBA championship 😯 pic.twitter.com/dnVqSdwbEi
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 2, 2025
While Smith questioned the talent around Gilgeous-Alexander, suggesting it could lead to a downfall in the playoffs, he reiterated that the Thunder’s dominance in key statistical categories means there is no excuse for them not to win it all.
“I have concerns about the pieces around SGA in that regard showing up in the postseason, but my God, all those statistics that I just dropped—No. 1 in every single category—there’s no excuse for them not to win.”
The Thunder are fresh off a dominant win against the San Antonio Spurs and contrary to Smith’s concerns, Jalen Williams led Oklahoma City with a career-high 41-point performance. Williams shot 15-of-24 from the field while also dishing seven assists and collecting six rebounds.
Meanwhile, Gilgeous-Alexander added 31 points, eight assists, and four rebounds to his MVP résumé, leading the Thunder past the Spurs in a 146-132 victory. He and Williams both recorded zero turnovers, becoming the first duo this season to score 30-plus points without a turnover in a game.
