Stop me if this sounds familiar, Boston Celtics fans.
The Oklahoma City Thunder entered this season as the reigning NBA champions, with many appointing them the league's next dynasty. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (now a two-time MVP), Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and elite depth on the roster, Oklahoma City is built to compete for a championship for years to come.
It wasn't just a question of who could stop the Thunder; it was a question of how much damage they were going to do before everyone found their answer.
As it turns out, the answers are the San Antonio Spurs, and not too much.
Almost everybody expected Oklahoma City to repeat as champions this year, or, at the very least, make it back to the finals. But after their shocking Game 7 loss in the conference finals (a series they led 3-2 and 2-1, by the way), the Thunder aren't just not destined to win another championship this season, but their immediate outlook looks a little grim as some changes could be coming (Isaiah Hartenstein and Lu Dort each have a $28.5 million team option and a $17.7 million team option, respectively, this summer).
And if this sounds almost exactly like what happened to the Celtics just last year, it's because, in a way, it is exactly what happened.
The Celtics can relate to the Thunder's playoff collapse
Just two years ago, Boston defeated the Dallas Mavericks in a five-game finals victory. Led by Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, and Kristaps Porzingis, many expected the Celtics to become the next dynasty of the NBA.
Instead, they dealt with injuries throughout the season and the playoffs (much like the Thunder did with Williams and Ajay Mitchell, who each missed multiple games in the conference finals, including Game 7), looked beatable, and ultimately were beaten in the second round to the New York Knicks (who, funny enough, are playing San Antonio in the finals this year) in six games before an epic fire sale.
And now, the Celtics are in a completely different place. They no longer look like a potential dynasty. They barely (if at all) even look like championship contenders, and their first-round collapse against the Philadelphia 76ers this postseason is proof of that. Though they still have their core of the Jays and White, it's hard to imagine them raising another banner in TD Garden anytime soon, barring a busy offseason this summer.
It would be a bit excessive to assume that the Thunder's dynasty is officially over before it ever really started, but if recent history repeats itself (see: 2024-25 Celtics, 2023-24 Denver Nuggets, 2022-23 Golden State Warriors, 2021-22 Milwaukee Bucks, 2020-21 Los Angeles Lakers), don't be too surprised if that's exactly what ends up happening.
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