This Series Is Going to Be All-Time Great

Listen, I know Adam Silver and the NBA have taken a lot of criticism over the past few years, even from a guy like me who loves the league.

I've had my fair share of issues with it, whether it be the play-in tournament, as I think 82 games is enough to decide playoff teams throughout a regular season. Whether it's the NBA Cup, which I don't really think has picked up a full head of steam, whether it's how the contract structure is now, or players sitting out more games than they should, which led to that 65-game rule that nobody likes.

I think all of those criticisms are valid.

But if anything is going to save the NBA, I think this Oklahoma City Thunder-San Antonio Spurs Western Conference Final could do just that.

I think this series is going to be that epic.

Game 1 that we just saw on Monday night was just the appetizer for what is going to be an excellent series going forward. This thing is just getting started. This is probably the most consequential and most hyped NBA playoff series since the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors met in the Western Conference Final back in 2018.

In Game 1, Victor Wembanyama finished with 41 points and 23 rebounds in his first Western Conference Final game ever in just year three of his career. He was all over the place, showing that he's ready to compete for a championship right now at only 22 years old.

Then on the other side, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander received his second straight MVP award on Monday night in front of the home crowd. While he struggled in Game 1, I expect Shai to bounce back in a major way and help get the Thunder back on track at some point in this series.

These are going to be the two best teams of this decade going forward, while Wembanyama and Gilgeous-Alexander very well could be the two best players in basketball moving forward. These are going to be two of the faces of the league battling it out, and I think this is only the first of many playoff battles between the Thunder and Spurs.

And it's not just the stars.

You look at the supporting casts around them. For San Antonio, you've got Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle, and then De'Aaron Fox, who should be back in the lineup fairly shortly. They have a group of guards that I think could give OKC some real problems.

Then on OKC's side, the defending champions have been here before. You've got Shai, Jalen Williams back in the lineup after missing the entire last series against the Lakers, and Chet Holmgren who will be matched up with Wemby. That matchup between Chet and Wemby is going to be what everyone has their eyes on because everyone already knows about the rivalry between those two.

Then even the bench players for OKC like Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace and Ajay Mitchell who are stars in their roles.

Both these teams are just so deep.

The next two weeks between the Spurs and Thunder are going to have everything.

The defending champion Thunder seem destined to go back-to-back, but now they're facing the one team they've struggled against all year. At this point, OKC has lost five of six games against San Antonio.

Before the playoffs, I predicted the Thunder to beat the Spurs in seven games.

Since then, and this isn't just me overreacting to Game 1, before the series even started I placed a $20 bet on the Spurs to win the series at +220 because I thought the matchup favored San Antonio.

The injury uncertainty surrounding Jalen Williams, while I don't think it's been a major factor throughout the playoffs so far, becomes a bigger concern in this series. They need him healthy because this thing is going to be an absolute gauntlet, and I just can't fully trust J-Dub's health based on what we've seen this season.

But like I said, Game 1 — an epic double-overtime game where Wemby guided the Spurs to victory, was just the appetizer for what I think will be the most epic NBA series we've had in quite some time.

And even if you've had issues with the NBA over the past few years, stop with the criticism for a second, because I know I will, and just enjoy this series. Because this very well might be the real NBA Finals this year.

The winner of this series should beat the Knicks or Cavaliers in the Finals.

And if we get the New York Knicks back in the Finals, that's going to be excellent for the NBA as well.

I just hope people appreciate this next month of basketball between the Conference Finals and the NBA Finals, because this is going to be insane.

Wemby and the Spurs. Shai and the Thunder.

Wemby trying to take the throne as the best player in basketball and put his stamp on the league by saying, this isn't my league in the future, this is my league right now.

Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is trying to lead the Thunder to their second straight championship and cap off what would be one of the greatest two-year runs in NBA history.

Not maybe.

One of the greatest.

If he wins Finals MVP, regular season MVP, and another title, we're talking about Shai entering all-time discussions.

So like I said, enjoy this next series specifically, but enjoy this next month of basketball in general.

Because I think this is going to be an all-time month for the NBA.

And I think this Spurs-Thunder series specifically is going to be epic.

And it might just be the thing that saves the NBA going forward.