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Since 2015, the Golden State Warriors have been a mainstay in the title contenders conversation. Winning four championships in that span will do that.
So to hear Warriors head coach Steve Kerr praise the Oklahoma City Thunder means more than most compliments.
On Friday, Kerr spoke highly of the Thunder and their future in the league. Even though the Warriors escaped with the controversial 141-139 in-season tournament win, OKC’s core showed it can play with the big boys — even without their best player in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
“These guys are coming, everyone can feel it. You could feel it last year and now they have Chet back healthy and playing at a high level. He’s really added a different dimension to their team,” Kerr said. “OKC’s coming and they’re loaded with talent, extremely well-coached. We know that they’re going to be a factor all year.”
"These guys are coming. Everyone can feel it."
Kerr knows the Thunder are going to be a problem 😬 pic.twitter.com/JRBDlABEr8
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 4, 2023
The young Thunder continues to respect from both inside and outside of the league. Games like Friday — despite the loss — reinforce that strong belief about OKC’s young core.