Thunder's Remaining Stretch Full of Winnable Games
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Oklahoma City has done its job up to this point in the season. At the All Star break, the Thunder ranks second in the Western Conference and in possession of a 37-17 record. After blowing expectations out of the water a season ago, what OKC is doing this season might be even more impressive. The top seed in the West is up for grabs, and the Thunder could realistically make a run at it.
January's ridiculous stretch of back-to-backs and road trips brought about massive fatigue for this young Thunder team. They handled it the best they could, and found a way to make it out with an 11-6 overall record. But now, after a much needed break, the team has a very winnable stretch to end the season.
According to Tankathon, the site most Thunder fans became extremely familiar with for predicting draft order over the last three seasons, Oklahoma City has just the 24th hardest schedule over the last two months of the season. The Thunder's remaining opponents have a combined .485 winning percentage.
The Thunder's stretch of easy games includes Washington, San Antonio twice, Memphis twice, Charlotte, Portland and Toronto. Oklahoma City's season series with Minnesota and Denver have already concluded, and the team has just one game left against the Clippers.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren have been in the spotlight in Indianapolis during their break. Cason Wallace, too. Every time a player has spoken to the media, it's clear the team shares the same thought process and the goals are lofty. The sentiment is business isn't finished, and every goal is still on the table. Going 37-17 wasn't the goal, and the young team knows that.
With Gordon Hayward set to join the lineup this week, these last two months will go a long way for the Thunder's playoff positioning. Considering Oklahoma City has the 7th easiest schedule down the stretch, the opportunity is there.
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