As the NBA’s 2023-24 regular season schedule slowly leaks, there’s been one common takeaway — the Oklahoma City Thunder have been snubbed harder than any other team in the league.
After a first-seed finish last season, it’d be easy to think the Thunder would be a frequent visitor on primetime slots. They have the star appeal and will be a title contender for the foreseeable future. Why wouldn’t the league boost their visibility?
Instead, OKC won’t be featured in either Opening Night or Christmas — the two most popular days of the league’s grueling seven-month campaign.
This feels like a shortsighted mistake.
Whether the league likes it or not, the Thunder will be a staple in the playoff picture for the rest of the decade. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams all are 26 years or younger. OKC was the youngest top-seed in league history last year.
Barring the unforeseen, the Thunder will be a constant 50-plus win squad for the next five-plus years. The same can’t be said about one specific team slotted to play on both nights — the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Looking at the schedules for both Opening Night and Christmas, the NBA has made a conscious decision to market Anthony Edwards over Gilgeous-Alexander. The Timberwolves will play on both nights while the Thunder on none.
Like Nickelodeon picking Victoria Justice over Ariana Grande, the NBA has hitched its wagon to the wrong horse.
Both teams had similar seasons last year. The Thunder captured the first seed and made it to the second round while the Timberwolves made it to the Western Conference Finals but lost in five games.
Both franchises are also in small markets. Unlike other teams, OKC and Minnesota won’t be gifted the national spotlight unless deemed worthy.
This means the tiebreaker likely came down to who the league thinks is more marketable between Edwards and Gilgeous-Alexander. This wouldn’t be the first time both players have been pitted against each other. They’re on similar trajectories, so comparisons have only naturally followed suit.
As of now, Gilgeous-Alexander is the clearcut better player. He’s had back-to-back top-five MVP finishes and headlines the Thunder. Meanwhile, Edwards has had a solid start to his career. The 23-year-old has made two straight All-Star appearances and was part of Team USA’s gold finish this summer.
But Minnesota’s success last season wasn’t mainly because of Edwards’ rise — unlike OKC’s with Gilgeous-Alexander. Sure, he was its top scorer but the Timberwolves rode an elite defense manned by Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert to their best season in two decades.
With that said though, pure production isn’t the sole factor involved in these decisions. Off-court personality and charisma also matter. As badly as Gilgeous-Alexander beats Edwards on the court, the latter equally dominates the former off it.
There’s no question Edwards does a better job in a press conference setting. He is unapologetically himself and offers blunt truths covered in witty one-liners.
Meanwhile, Gilgeous-Alexander’s calm demeanor on the court reflects his personality. He is Mr. Calm, cool and collected. Always precise with his words. Never in a hurry.
Rarely does a quote from Gilgeous-Alexander make the airwaves on ESPN or take over Twitter. For Edwards, that’s a normal Tuesday.
Even though Edwards might be the sexier choice, Gilgeous-Alexander is the safer choice that should also be propelled up. The 26-year-old should be featured on at least one of the league’s two busy nights.
To be ignored for both exposes the league’s shortcomings. There should be a healthy balance but the NBA has put all its eggs in one basket with Edwards. If the NBA insists on living by that mindset and refuses to adapt, Gilgeous-Alexander is the better choice.
He’s one of the best players in the league and has had historically efficient 30-plus point seasons these last two years. Maybe Edwards reaches those heights in the future, but that shouldn’t factor into who plays on Opening Night or Christmas during these next few months.
The 2024-25 NBA schedule should be about showcasing the best players in the league right now. That’s Gilgeous-Alexander in this scenario. Edwards has the tools to reach that status but hasn’t yet. The league prioritizing the young, rising star over an MVP candidate in the middle of his prime is a colossal mistake that was avoidable.
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