After being one of the biggest surprises in the league last season, the Oklahoma City Thunder have officially put the rest of the NBA on notice.
Following their blowout win over the Los Angeles Lakers, Jalen Williams believes opposing teams are starting to respect the young Thunder.
“It’s a lot more serious,” Williams said on how teams approach them compared to last season. “This might’ve been one of the games where they might rest people… Now people are taking us more serious… I think everybody is starting to respect us a little more.”
After being one of the worst teams in the league for a two-season stretch, OKC’s league-wide opinion is starting to shift more favorably. Rostering one of the best players in the league and the early Rookie-of-the-Year favorite will do that.
When asked about Williams’ opinion, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault expressed a similar sentiment.
“I think we gained some respect from the league last year. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that. I thought last year, we were a team that needed to earn respect,” Daigneault said. “…We didn’t shy away from admitting that… If you don’t show up against us, we’re gonna show up.”
The Thunder are quickly climbing the ranks among the league’s best teams. It doesn’t appear that pace will slow down as the young roster continues to gain experience. Another milestone this core appears to have achieved is no longer being viewed as an easy win.
