Thinking Basketball #367: Inner Circle contenders, “Clutch” in MVP, Film rivalries
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Mar 25, 2026 They debate whether clutch moments should carry weight in MVP voting and why small samples mislead. They size up title contenders, naming who belongs in the inner circle and who might be slipping. They analyze AJ Mitchell’s impact on Oklahoma City and how depth and injuries shape playoff outlooks. They finish with a fun dive into memorable on-screen rivalries across genres.
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Inner Circle Defined By Plausible Champions
- Inner Circle teams are those whose championship would be unsurprising; Ben and Cody limit this group tightly.
- Cody lists Thunder, Nuggets, Spurs as inner-circle possibilities; Ben narrows his to Thunder and Spurs with Nuggets and Celtics as serious contenders.
Depth Glows Can Make Rotations Messy
- Depth shifts can hurt playoff clarity: bench players shining while injured starters play better causes rotation ambiguity.
- Ben Taylor worries Denver looks worse when everyone returns, complicating playoff role decisions.
Jalen Williams Is A Playoff Ceiling Multiplier
- Jalen Williams' availability materially affects OKC's playoff ceiling because he supplies two-way versatility and defensive juice.
- Cody flags that without Jalen, OKC's title odds drop notably, though Ben remains confident in depth like AJ Mitchell and Caruso.