OKC Thunder Proving Doubters Wrong Amidst NBA Title Run

The doubters of the Oklahoma City Thunder might finally be fading away as they inch closer to making the NBA Finals. A Game 4 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, one in which they grinded out on the road, might have been the nail in the coffin for both the series and those doubters.

The Thunder have now shown that they are legitimate contenders, especially after advancing further in the playoffs compared to last season. That was step one to proving people wrong and the Thunder have now done that, with two other objectives on the list in order to fully prove people wrong.

Advancing to the NBA Finals and winning the title are the last two things OKC needs to do. That being said, winning the whole thing might be the only true way to get those doubters off their backs. If OKC, a two seed for two-straight seasons, had not won the finals or made a run at it during that time frame, the outside noise would only get worse.

It appears as if the number of doubters they have is dwindling after the run they've started to make. NBA analyst Brian Windhorst was the one to break that news, making it clear that people are finally starting to believe in what the Thunder can do.

“I spent the whole season listening to people in the NBA, a lot of it off the record, disrespecting this team, not believing in this team," Windhorst said following OKC's Game 4 victory. "I don’t know how you could watch these last couple of weeks and not understand this team is a serious problem going forward.”

Part of the validity of what OKC can do is in the hands of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. In big games over the last two series, he's stepped up in more big ways than one. On top of that, his supporting cast has as well, especially in the Western Conference Finals. Since his poor Game 6 performance, Jalen Williams has been more impactful than ever. Whether he's scoring or being a distributor, Williams has done great at being Gilgeous-Alexander's wingman.

The additions that OKC's front office added in the offseason are also stepping up, which is another sign of a budding organization with title hopes. Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso have played their roles to a tee in the playoffs. Caruso has been one of, if not the best, defenders in the playoffs and has made headlines for it.

It seems like the pieces are coming together for Oklahoma City and now they're one game away from a chance at an NBA championship. If they do make it to that round and go on to win, it would be quite difficult to doubt them.

The next game of the series tips off at 7:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday, May 28, in Oklahoma City. A win for the Thunder would advance them to the NBA finals.