About this episode
Western Conference Shakeup: OKC Thunder's Path to Dominance Rylan Stiles and Michael Martin break down the NBA Western Conference landscape, ranking teams and analyzing potential threats to the Oklahoma City Thunder. From the rebuilding Utah Jazz to the championship-contending Denver Nuggets, they dissect each team's strengths, weaknesses, and chances against OKC. The duo highlights the Houston Rockets as a dark horse and explores the Nuggets' formidable roster, including Nikola Jokic's impact. Key topics include the Thunder's quest for the top seed, historical context of maintaining the #1 spot post-championship, and the regular season's crucial role in playoff positioning. Guest Michael Martin offers insights on Let's Talk Thunder's YouTube channel, adding depth to the analysis. Tune in for expert takes on OKC's journey to Western Conference supremacy and discover which teams pose the biggest challenges. 0:00 Intro: Ranking the Western Conference 5:01 Bottom teams: Jazz, Pelicans, Suns, Kings 10:15 Play-in contenders and potential threats 17:13 Warriors at #6: Old roster, injury concerns 20:53 Lakers at #5: LeBron's future, roster questions 26:50 Nuggets as biggest threat to Thunder 30:08 Teams that could realistically beat OKC 33:27 Eastern Conference outlook and Finals matchups 36:39 Importance of #1 seed for Thunder Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! OpenPhone Streamline and scale your customer communications with OpenPhone. Get 20% off your first 6 months at www.openphone.com/lockedonnba Hungryroot With Hungryroot, it’s like having a personal shopper and a nutritionist all in one.For a limited time, get 40% off your first box and a free item in every box for life! Just go to Hungryroot.com/lockedonnba and use codeLOCKEDONNBA. Monarch Money Take control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNBA at monarchmoney.com/lockedonnba for 50% off your first year Gametime Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNBA for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime. FanDuel Right now, new customers can get ONE HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS when your first FIVE DOLLAR BET WINS! Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started. Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of the NBA. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER : 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.