JJ Redick hypes up OKC Thunder: 'One of the greatest teams ever'

"We saw a stat in our morning meeting. Teams that have had back-to-back, 10 or more better net ratings in consecutive seasons, you're talking about the '95-'96 Bulls and '96-'97 Bulls and the '15-'17 Warriors. You're literally talking about two of the greatest teams of all time," Redick said. "I said to a bunch of people yesterday, off-site, talking about this series. To me, the Thunder is one of the greatest teams ever in NBA history. It's just the reality. They're that good. I think our guys recognize that and respect that. We know what kind of task we have in front of us."

Well, Redick isn't wrong. He's always been blunt in nature. And how their Round 2 series diagnosis shakes out is the latest example. The Thunder have everything on their side. The offense clicked on all cylinders in Round 1. The defense remains one-of-a-kind. Gilgeous-Alexander looks like he's on a mission to enter all-time greatness. They've had the Lakers' number with an eye-popping plus-117 point differential in four regular-season wins. And Doncic's absence completely clouds any optimism for Los Angeles.

That said, the games still need to be played. What you believe on paper doesn't always translate on the court. We've seen this year's NBA playoffs get off to a chaotic start with two 3-1 series comebacks. The Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets were bounced in Round 1. You just never know what could happen.

The Thunder can't afford to walk into Game 1 with the expectation that the Lakers will just eat the loss. That's how you enter into upset territory. I think the first couple of games in this series will go a long way as to whether or not it'll go chalk or if Los Angeles can make things very interesting when it shifts over to California for Games 3 and 4.

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: JJ Redick hypes up OKC Thunder: 'One of the greatest teams ever'