ESPN’s Tim Bontemps recently said the Dallas Mavericks won’t be the top seed in the Western Conference Bontemps appeared to discredit the Mavericks once again.
In a recent episode for “The Hoop Collective” podcast, Bontemps, Brian Windhorst, and Tim McMahon put the Western Conference in tiers. The trio’s first tier was the “Conference Winners,” the teams that they thought could be the top seed in the West this upcoming season. Their first “Conference Winner” was the Oklahoma City Thunder. Read on for further details surrounding their debatable pick of the Thunder over the Dallas Mavericks.
Tim Bontemps’ Statement About Dallas Mavericks
Tim Bontemps’ statement is arguably true, as anyone could argue that the Oklahoma City Thunder following their offseason moves of trading Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso and signing Isaiah Hartenstein in NBA free agency. However, Bontemps’ statement can also be described as polarizing.
According to Sports Illustrated, Bontemps said, “I think [the Thunder] are in a tier by themselves, personally … One, if you go back to the survey [he conducted a survey around the league asking about various topics, one being who will win the Western Conference], they got, I think, 70% of the votes from people around the league… so, in general, they are seen as the clear and decisive favorites to get out of the conference.”
“I would say last year, there was a top tier for the course of the season of three teams: the Thunder, the Nuggets, and the [Timber]wolves … Minnesota lost some key pieces this summer. Denver, obviously, we’ve talked a lot about the key pieces they lost this summer … And the Thunder add Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey, add Isaiah Hartenstein to their roster, their young guys are all going to get better… I think there’s a pretty significant gap between them and the other teams behind them.”
Bontemps’ statement is arguably lengthy but accurately describes the current Western Conference teams.
Tim McMahon Echoes Tim Bontemps’ Thoughts
Tim McMahon echoed Tim Bontemps’ thoughts about the Oklahoma City Thunder potentially becoming the top seed of the Western Conference this upcoming season.
According to Sports Illustrated, McMahon quickly brought up the Dallas Mavericks beat the Thunder in the NBA playoffs, went to the NBA Finals, and also arguably got better. However, McMahon’s other belief was the Thunder were “head and shoulders” better than the Mavericks and everyone else in the West.
McMahon’s recent comment might be right at the end of the 2024-25 NBA season, but we’ll see what happens.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Dallas Mavericks
The recent Oklahoma City Thunder and Dallas Mavericks debate among Tim Bontemps, Tim McMahon, and Brian Windhorst will likely be argued by both NBA fans and media members. The Thunder and Mavericks will compete in a competitive race for the top seed of the Western Conference, as at least 13 teams have “legitimate” postseason aspirations and the Mavs proved last season that “anything could happen.”
In addition, the Thunder’s high-profile acquisition of Isaiah Hartenstein might backfire this upcoming season. Hartenstein hit 27 three-pointers in his last six seasons and can help fix the team’s rebounding issue that most recently plagued them against the Mavericks in the NBA playoffs. However, Hartenstein’s presence might not be perceived as a “threat” on the court.
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