Former OKC Thunder Center Weighs in on Which Era Would Win a Hypothetical Matchup

Steven Adams has played with some of the best in OKC history, and he thinks his teams could outperform the current team.

Mar 18, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) celebrates with center Steven Adams (12) after his three pointer against the Philadelphia 76ers during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. The Oklahoma City Thunder won 111-97.Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

A former Thunder big man thinks his best teams could beat the current squad. 

In a recent appearance on The Morning Shift, Steven Adams discussed various topics. That included how he envisions a hypothetical matchup between his Thunder teams with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook and the present-day Thunder.

Oklahoma City drafted Adams in 2013, and was an instant impact player. He played in Oklahoma City for seven seasons, connecting different eras of the Thunder. The New Zealand native averaged 9.8 points and 7.6 rebounds throughout his 530 games with the team.

In Adams’ first three seasons, he was a part of two Western Conference Finals runs in years where the Thunder won 59 and 55 games. Always among the league’s best in Durant’s tenure, Adams was particularly important in 2016, starting every game.

“I reckon we would do pretty well, but they’re still young,” Adams said. “So, like, the KD, Russ, they’re like animals. They’ve already came into their own when I got there.”

Adams also noted that the officiating would have an impact on who wins. Considering the heightened level of physicality allowed toward the end of last season, a more veteran Thunder team might be better equipped to deal with a lack of whistles.

Along with his experience playing in big games with future Hall of Famers, Adams also played alongside a couple of Oklahoma City’s current stars in his last season with the team. In 2019-20, Adams started alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and rookie Lu Dort. While that team won 44 games, it took a few seasons for those players to get back to a high-stakes environment.

Still, the current Thunder is beginning to mirror the first era as they hope to compete for a championship next season. While there is no way of determining who might win a hypothetical matchup, Adams has undoubtedly had an impact on both eras.

“This new OKC team, I think they’re still growing,” Adams said. “They’ve still got time, it’s a very young team. Shai’s a beast, he’s nice. Lu Dort is still an animal.”

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