Oklahoma City Thunder
This is the matchup we should all want to see. The other four matchups are nice and they’d be fun for their own reasons, but none would be like this one. The Golden State Warriors taking on the new-look Oklahoma City Thunder on Opening Night needs to happen.
The Warriors and the Thunder have had a rivalry for years now. Generally, it’s been two great teams using every trick they have to best each other. That has led to jaw-dropping plays, amazing game-winners, and one instant classic Western Conference Finals series.
Of course, the rivalry took a turn when Kevin Durant decided to join the Warriors. It was Russell Westbrook versus the world. It wasn’t about two teams playing high-quality basketball against each other; it was personal.
The Warriors smacked the Thunder every single time this year, but they’ll look different next season. OKC has added Paul George. In an offseason with a lot of star movement, this might have been the biggest and most surprising.
Now, the Thunder are interesting. Westbrook and George is, instantly, one of the best duos in the entire league. They’re
like a generic version of Curry-Durant
really good! Outside of Westbrook, Oklahoma City has a good defending team that could give the Warriors some problems.
Next: Top 25 Warriors of All-Time
For Warriors fans (and possibly some of the players) nothing would be sweeter than to watch Westbrook and Kanter sit through a ring ceremony. The hype surrounding OKC–some have them as a genuine threat to the Warriors–makes this an ideal matchup for the NBA. This needs to become a reality for so many reasons, both genuine and petty.
With an MVP in OKC and a Finals MVP in the Bay Area, the rivalry is ready to enter it’s next chapter.