Can OKC’s young core overcome lack of playoff experience?

Despite being one of the four youngest teams in the league, OKC has emerged as a title contender with the second-best record in a deep Western Conference.

They’re primed with a 25-year-old MVP candidate, Shai-Gilgeous Alexander, a top-five finish on offense and defense, plus an abundance of draft capital.

Five seasons since the Russell Westbrook era ended and general manager Sam Presti has reopened OKC’s championship window for at least the next five years.

However, behind every move that steers the Thunder toward their first Finals berth since 2012 is a constant talking point surrounding his youth. And whether their inexperience will be their undoing in the playoffs.

If you look beyond the fact that only three players (SGA, Lu Dort and Isaiah Joe) have played significant minutes in the playoffs, you could make a compelling case that the Thunder team has the makings of a championship list. A solidified superstar, elite shooting and a reliable coaching staff.

What is inescapable is that over the past 20 seasons, no team with less than 100 minutes of average playoff experience has reached the conference finals. The 2004 Washington Wizards, who averaged 78.1 minutes in the playoffs, were the only team to win a playoff series.

A playoff appearance from a young core that has only spent one season together would be unprecedented and unlikely.

Even OKC’s suggest a need for familiarity in the playoffs. In 2010, a Thunder team led by Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden won 50 games. In the playoffs, they were eliminated in the first round by a seasoned Lakers team in six games.

The young Memphis team with 51 wins last year secured the second seed before exiting the playoffs in six games to LeBron James and the Lakers.

OKC has the resources to become the league’s next dynasty in the years to come, but in a locker room lacking veteran guidance, reality is far on the horizon.