The OKC Thunder sleepwalked their way to a series sweep against the Phoenix Suns in the first round.
Many expect the road ahead to present more difficulty... just not in the upcoming semifinals.
With the Los Angeles Lakers' series win over the Houston Rockets on Friday night, Oklahoma City is eyeing J.J. Redick's beat-up squad as its next victim. If all goes accordingly, round two could be at risk of concluding in a similar fashion to round one.
The Thunder look to be in a prime position to pull off two consecutive series sweeps. They would be the first team to do so since the 2017 Warriors -- the NBA's last great dynasty.
Lakers are match made in Heaven for Thunder in round two
Out of all the playoff teams in the Western Conference, the Thunder couldn't have dreamed up a better second-round matchup.
They swept the regular-season series, with three of the four games decided by 29 points or more.
Now, the Lakers will presumably be without superstar Luka Doncic when the series ensues.
Without Luka so far this postseason, the Lakers have the second-most turnovers per game in the playoffs at 16.3. LeBron James has been at the forefront of the issue on multiple occasions, turning the ball over eight times in a game twice.
Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company have had the third-most steals of any playoff team thus far and generated the second-most turnovers by the opposition during the regular season.
All these factors may be creating a perfect storm for a Thunder beatdown. The Lakers' odds of winning the championship are at a long 25-1 as it is, and running into the league's best team won't do them any favors.
Thunder success beginning to mirror league's greatest dynasties
It's been a decade since a team began the playoffs in such dominant fashion. The Golden State Warriors did so on their way to dominating the Cavs in five games to win their second title in three years.
They followed this performance up with a third title in the 2017-2018 season.
If OKC were to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy once again this postseason, they would firmly position themselves in dynasty conversations.
With favorable contracts, assets, an MVP and Clutch Player of the Year, and multiple All-Stars, Â All-NBA and All-Defensive players taking up long-term roster spots, the Thunder are arguably in a better position to prolong their success than the Warriors were back in the 2010s.
Of course, coach Mark Daigneault and his team have some work to do for these hypotheticals to come true, beginning with the Western Conference Semifinals in just a matter of days.
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