Shaq predicts a huge first-round upset in NBA playoffs

If the NBA Playoffs were to start today, the top-seeded Thunder would face the eighth seed in the first round out West. That eighth seed could be either the Lakers, Warriors, Mavericks, Suns or even Kings depending on how the NBA play-in tournament shakes out.

In the event that the Thunder square off with the Lakers or Warriors, Shaquille O'Neal has serious concerns for Mark Daigneault's team. After the Thunder beat the Mavs 126-119 Thursday night, O'Neal explained why he'd pick either the LeBron James- or Stephen Curry-led teams to upset OKC.

"The Lakers or the Warriors can beat the Thunder in the first round," O'Neal declared on "Inside the NBA" on TNT.

When asked by his co-panelists to give a more definitive answer, O'Neal doubled down on his prediction.

"The Lakers or Warriors will beat the Thunder if they match up."

O'Neal added that the Thunder would have fewer problems going up against Kevin Durant's Suns or Luka Doncic's Mavericks as those would be "better match-ups" for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander & Co.

Earlier, Charles Barkley also raised doubts about the Thunder's ability to make a deep postseason run.

"I don't think they can win the West," Barkley said of OKC. "I don't even think they can win a series. I would pick the Suns over them if they played in a series. I love what they're doing in OKC... but they're so inexperienced."

Despite being one of the top three seeds for most of the season, the Thunder continue to be disregarded as a playoff threat due to their inexperience in the postseason. If not for their trade-deadline acquisition of Gordon Hayward, the Thunder would have a combined playoff experience of 30 games going into this year's postseason. That's how young and unproven they are.

That said, the NBA's oddsmakers are seemingly higher on the Thunder than Shaq and Barkley, giving them the fifth-shortest odds to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy in June. One thing is for certain: if the Thunder make a deep postseason run, many of the analysts on television will be eating crow.