NBA Analyst Doesn't Believe Thunder Too Young to Contend

The Oklahoma City Thunder are set to contend for an NBA Championship during the 2024-25 NBA title and Ryen Russillo believes the team is not too young to accomplish that feat.

Dec 26, 2023; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) celebrates with Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) after scoring against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the first quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder are one of the top contenders for the NBA Championship this season. Pegged as the favorites out West and a popular pick to battle the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals, there is still a glaring question posed in their direction.

Are the OKC Thunder too young to live up to the title billing many have put before them?

Ryen Russillo joined FanDuel TV's "Run it Back" show this week to preview the NBA season where he was put on the hot seat about the Oklahoma City Thunder, quizzed on if the Thunder are too young to accomplish their lofty goals of contending for an NBA Title.

"No they are not, normally I would totally agree with you, you go through the history..there are a couple of outliers but traditionally decades and decades of results have told us that young teams [don't win] but the thing is, they already had the No. 1 seed in a brutal Western Conference" Russillo said "There is a balance here or there where they are in the NBA Finals already [Had the Dallas series gone a little different]"

The analyst did not stop there, raving about their offseason moves and how the team got better - this on the heels of his own podcast where he took the over on 57.5 wins for the OKC Thunder.

"What I loved about what they did, is they really needed another option offensively..Caruso is like a knock down shooters...Their rebounding rate was like No. 28 in the league, that is what I love with the Hartenstein acquisition," the NBA expert continued "I think they are better."

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