The Thunder Can't Put All Its Effort Into Beating The Spurs

OKC no doubt has to find a way to get past San Antonio, but it must focus on other teams as well.

May 26, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9) drives against San Antonio Spurs guard De'aaron Fox (4) during the second quarter in game five of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Thunder can’t focus too hard on just one team. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder are preparing to make another run at an NBA Title, after coming up short this past season in the Western Conference Finals. To make it back to the NBA Finals, OKC will either have to get past or outlast the team that sent it home, the San Antonio Spurs. While revenge might be wanted, and would be the next step in this new rivalry, the Thunder can’t only focus on the Spurs. 

This rivalry built up over the last season, as San Antonio dominated OKC in the regular season, winning four out of the five times the two teams matched up. The Thunder hoped to have the final say when the teams met in the Western Conference Finals, but it would once again be the Spurs who prevailed. 

This rivalry has only seemed to grow in the offseason, with countless media outlets comparing the two teams and the players and deciding who will be the team to ultimately prevail. While it is important that the Thunder find a way to deal with this growing San Antonio team, OKC can’t focus solely on one team. 

There are still other threats in the league besides San Antonio, and those teams have continued to grow as well. Minnesota has added LaMelo Ball to go alongside Anthony Edwards, making them a huge threat in the West. Additionally, the Philadelphia 76ers have constructed one of the best starting fives in the league with the addition of Jaylen Brown and LeBron James. 

It doesn’t end there, as both the defending champion New York Knicks and common foe of the Thunder, the Denver Nuggets, have kept the core of their roster and are ready for another run as well. 

San Antonio can be a testament to how you can’t just focus on one team, as it seemed the Spurs did this last year. They put all of their effort into getting past the Thunder, and they were not ready for what was waiting for them in the Finals. Oklahoma City can’t make this mistake no matter what stage the Spurs end in, as any one of these other teams could be waiting on the other side. 

There’s nothing wrong with having a rival and putting a lot of energy into making sure you beat them. However, Oklahoma City can’t spend all of its energy on the Spurs, as they’ll need to beat other teams to bring home a championship.