Coming into the 2023-24 NBA regular season, the Oklahoma City Thunder were considered one of the teams to watch in the Western Conference, with the team showcasing one of the most talented young teams in the league.
Although the Thunder had no shortage of talent coming into the season, especially with Chet Holmgren getting his NBA career underway, Oklahoma City wasn’t considered a legitimate title contender right out of the gate.
The consensus was this young team would need a few more years to develop into a legitimate threat in the West, but that hasn’t been the case, as it appears Oklahoma City is ready to compete for a title right now.
Currently, the Thunder are sitting atop the West standings with an impressive record of 49-20, ahead of the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves.
According to NBC Sports Bet, the Thunder’s title odds have improved drastically since the preseason and justifiably so.
Are the Thunder legit NBA title contenders? 🌩️ pic.twitter.com/boD7wwCZyq
— NBC Sports Bet (@NBCSportsBet) March 24, 2024
With the Thunder far exceeding expectations up to this point in the regular season, it’ll be interesting to see if Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company can continue to be one of the West’s elite teams once the NBA playoffs get underway on April 20.
The race for the top seed in the West is too close to call right now, with the Nuggets, Timberwolves, and Thunder all in contention for the top spot, but Oklahoma City is in control right now and if that holds they’ll have to wait for the outcome of the Play-In Tournament to see who they’ll face in the first round of the postseason.
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Shaq Names 2 Teams That Can Upset The Thunder In Playoffs