OKC Thunder: Criticism is Synonymous with Success

With the Oklahoma City Thunder's rise in attention and dominance, the criticism that comes along with it should be the expectation.

Mar 23, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives against LA Clippers guard Kris Dunn (8) during the 3rd quarter at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images / Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

Back-to-back seasons at the top of the Western Conference has fully positioned the Oklahoma City Thunder as one of the NBA's premier teams.

Despite being one of the smallest markets in the league, the combination of the superstar talent of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a roster full of talented young pieces keeps Oklahoma City in the spotlight. Heading into this year's playoffs, it is the indisputable favorite to make it out of the West.

With that, comes criticism. If anyone has scrolled through NBA social media over the last month, complaints of Gilgeous-Alexander's free-throw rate or questioning the Thunder's legitimacy after the rare losses it sustains have likely popped up. Arguably, it's been more popular to go against the favorite.

However, that's part of the newfound territory that Oklahoma City has walked into. Thinking about some of the greatest teams in league history — the '90s Chicago Bulls and 2010s Golden State Warriors, for instance — each dealt with their own fair share of criticism leading up to their success.

The Thunder has yet to reach the mountaintop, but it certainly has a chance to when this season comes to a close. When you're the favorite, not only do many fans gravitate toward you, but many also go against you.

The legitimacy of the free-throw criticisms that have soaked up much of the conversation surrounding Gilgeous-Alexander's MVP campaign can be countered all day, but they aren't going to stop coming when his popularity is at an all-time high. LeBron James and Stephen Curry, for example, have dealt with that the majority of their careers.

But of course, both have established themselves as two of the best players to ever touch a basketball.

Great teams and great players fight through the negative, and render it as non-existent. The outside noise should never be the focus, only the goal that the team is setting out. After just reaching the 60-win threshold, it seems that Oklahoma City has been able to do that so far.

Keeping the noise out will be crucial in the playoffs, especially with heightened viewership around the NBA. If one thing's for certain, the Thunder is on an entirely different level than just a year ago.

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