Nine-Year NBA Veteran Says OKC Thunder 'don't seem serious' About Basketball

Despite Oklahoma City boasting one of the best records in the NBA, a nine-year NBA veteran still thinks the team has a fatal flaw in its championship aspirations.

Dec 31, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9), forward Ousmane Dieng (13) and forward Jaylin Williams (6) watch as their team plays against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half at Paycom Center. / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

After earning the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference last season, the Oklahoma City Thunder look poised to do so again in 2024-25.

With a 27-5 record heading into the New Year and Shai GIlgeous-Alexander leading the MVP race, Mark Daigneault's team looks even better than it did in 2023-24 when the team won 57 games.

Despite OKC's success this season, however, the team still has its doubters. On a recent episode of The OGs Podcast with Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller, nine-year NBA veteran Carlos Arroyo revealed his apprehension in picking the Thunder to reach the NBA Finals.

"OKC, to me, they don't seem serious about the game," Arroyo said. "I don't know. I could be old school, you know what I'm saying. You've got to have a certain demeanor about the game sometimes. I don't know, maybe I don't see it. They're extremely talented, though."

Oklahoma City's roster is very talented, but most of the players currently thriving in the Modern Frontier did not start as elite prospects. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams were both picked outside of the top 10 while Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Hartenstein, Ajay Mitchell, Jaylin Williams were all second round selections.

Lu Dort and Kenrich Williams went undrafted before finding their way to OKC.

All of the aforementioned players have had to make notable improvements in their game to become the players they are today, showing how important basketball is to the Thunder's roster. Additionally, the team never seems to waver, even when trailing.

In Oklahoma City's New Year's Eve contest against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Thunder trailed by 12 with eight minutes remaining in the third quarter, but would lead the Wolves by 14 heading into the final frame.

OKC's ability to bounce back when in a tough spot is another indication that Mark Daigneault's group has no issues taking the game seriously.

In his nine-year NBA career, Arroyo never won the NBA Finals, but came close in 2005 as a member of the Detroit Pistons. The San Antonio Spurs won the series in seven games, with Arroyo totaling 31 minutes on the court in the Finals.

Arroyo also had a successful career overseas.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Thunder on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.