Right after the Oklahoma City Thunder won last season's NBA championship, there was talk that they were going to become a dynasty. They established themselves as one of the best defensive teams anyone had seen in recent memory, and they were young and deep enough to ensure several more chances at more rings in the coming years.
As the Los Angeles Lakers prepare for their Western Conference semifinal series against the Thunder, they know they will have to deal with a certified juggernaut while still short-handed. Luka Doncic is still not close to returning, and there doesn't seem to be any real timetable for a potential return.
Lakers coach JJ Redick called the Thunder "one of the greatest teams ever in NBA history" and even pointed out that they rank with the legendary Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls of the mid-1990s in one category.
If Los Angeles was a big underdog against the Houston Rockets at the start of the first round of the playoffs, it is a gigantic underdog to start this series. Game 1 will take place on Tuesday in Oklahoma City, where L.A. not only lost 139-96 on April 2 but also lost Doncic and Austin Reaves to hamstring and oblique strains, respectively.
Reaves returned from his injury in Game 5 against Houston, and he will need to be in peak form for the Purple and Gold to have any chance of even being competitive in this upcoming series.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: JJ Redick compares Thunder to 1996 Bulls: 'One of the greatest teams'
