Bob McAdoo is an NBA HOF’er and NBA Champion. He’s also a very insightful NBA assistant coach with the champion Miami Heat. So when he speaks, people listen. He is making some waves this week by stating he believes the Oklahoma City Thunder are still the team to beat in the Western Conference. In light of the LA Lakers acquiring both Steve Nash and Dwight Howard in the off-season, many are pegging the Lakers as the team to beat. McAdoo sees through the hype however and recognizes the Thunder have something you can’t buy. A combination of playoff experience with youth. The team is still one of the 5 youngest teams in the league, and fresh off a deep playoff run to the NBA Finals, the Thunder should only get better each year.
While many Lakers detractors are going to assume their age is working against them, they do have maturity and a veteran Steve Nash who is hungry for his first title, with maybe no better shot than a pairing with Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard. None the less, here are McAdoo’s comments…
“We got to get there but I still feel OKC is the team to beat in the West,’’ the Hall of Famer said. “Everyone’s talking about how they got better but I still think they’re the team to beat. They’re still young and have the experience of a championship series.’’
Despite the buzz about the Lakers adding Dwight Howard and Steve Nash, McAdoo expects to see the Thunder again in The Finals if Miami gets through.
McAdoo might be saavy enough to be deflecting attention and controversy away from his team and onto the Heat’s biggest threats in the West, but either way, he may just have a point.
[h/t to NY Post for Quote]
