The Oklahoma City Thunder have emerged as the betting favorites in the Western Conference, but their NBA Cup loss to the Milwaukee Bucks exposed critical flaws.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has firmly established himself as an MVP candidate, but whether he has a true co-star remains unclear. Jalen Williams has shown brilliant flashes but fell short in critical moments last season, averaging 17 points on only 50.8% true shooting in Oklahoma City’s second-round loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
Williams came back this season a higher-volume 3-point shooter, but he struggled in the NBA Cup elimination games:
18 points on 21 shots vs.