The Oklahoma City Thunder will make a run
If the NBA playoffs began on Tuesday, the Oklahoma City Thunder would be sitting on the couch with the rest of us. Unthinkable before the campaign began, Oklahoma City is struggling to qualify for the playoffs in the stacked Western Conference, coming into the All-Star break with a mediocre 28-25 record.
The Phoenix Suns are the only team within shouting distance for the Thunder, only a half-game ahead for the eighth and final seed. Oklahoma City is positioned well to overtake Phoenix, though. The Thunder are excellent at home and have 17 games remaining at the Chesapeake Energy Arena while the Suns only see 14 contests in Phoenix.
The Suns also have one of the most brutal stretches of any schedule in basketball this year, and it comes at the end of the season. Starting on March 21, 10 of Phoenix’s 13 remaining contests are against teams currently in the playoff picture. Of those 10 games, six are on the road. The last five dates feature a four-game road trip which features the Atlanta Hawks, Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans and San Antonio Spurs. The Suns finally return home for the regular-season finale and are rewarded with the Los Angeles Clippers.
In the NBA, winning often comes down less to team and more to star power (unless you are Carmelo Anthony, then you just lose everywhere). The Thunder have two of the largest talents in the game today with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, and both are finally healthy.
Only playing in 26 games this season, Durant is averaging 25.9 points and 6.6 rebounds per game with a PER of 28.67. Over his last four games before the break, Durant averaged 30.5 points/game including a 40-point explosion against the Denver Nuggets. Westbrook is no slouch himself, posting 25.8 points and 7.6 assists/game in 39 games this season.
Vegas is not worried in the slightest about the Thunder, installing them with the fourth-highest odds to win the NBA title at 8/1. Only the Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers and Hawks have better odds, with the Chicago Bulls also sitting at 8/1.
Another factor going Oklahoma City’s way is anger. Durant blew up on the media during All-Star Weekend after being asked about the job security of head coach Scott Brooks. Durant will be more motivated than ever to prove this team does not need a makeover, something that will send shivers up the Western Conference’s collective spine.
Oklahoma City will not go quietly into the night. The Thunder will earn the eighth seed and set up a titanic matchup against the Warriors. Who wouldn’t tune in to watch Durant and Westbrook against the Splash Bros. featuring Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. It would easily be one of the top-five first-round series we have seen in the last 20 years.
