Steven Adams predicts who'd win contest between old and current Thunder squads

If an Oklahoma City Thunder invented a time machine, an item on their bucket list might’ve been written in thanks to Steven Adams.

The 31-year-old appeared on “The Morning Shift” podcast. One of the topics discussed was how he thinks a hypothetical contest will play out between the old Thunder and current Thunder squads.

Adams was a key piece in the Thunder’s first iteration. He served as a starter from 2013-20. He was a quality role player who fit in well with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, who headlined one of the best teams in the 2010s.

Adams believes his iteration of the Thunder would hold their own against the current iteration. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams led OKC to the youngest first seed in league history last season.

“I reckon we would do pretty well but they’re still young,” Adams said. “So, like, KD, Russ — they’re like animals. They’ve already came into their own when I got there.”

Seeing Adams pick his team in this fun imaginary matchup is not a shocker. The Thunder have enjoyed a pair of successful cores in their short history in OKC.

Even with his selection, Adams is a believer in the current Thunder. It’s easy to see that considering the amount of success they’ve already had and the type of offseason they endured.

“This new OKC team, I think they’re still growing,” Adams said. “They’ve still got time. It’s a very young team. Shai’s a beast, he’s nice. Lu Dort is still an animal.”

Adams will have a chance to square off against the Thunder this season on the Houston Rockets. He missed all of last season from knee surgery.