With the end of the 2017 NBA regular season in sight and the OKC Thunder in position to secure a spot in the playoffs, the questions begin to emerge.
Q: Will the ongoing drama between the Warriors and the OKC Thunder cause a distraction come playoff time?
My answer is no.
The OKC Thunder will look to use the ongoing turmoil to make a run for the title in hopes of a Thunder-Warriors showdown along the way. Westbrook and Co. are eager to prove they are able to be successful without Kevin Durant when it matters.
However, they will need to make some adjustments before becoming a championship caliber team.
Anyone who has ever watched Russell Westbrook play the game of basketball knows he will do anything he can to allow the team to win. He is currently on pace to become only the second player ever to average a triple-double for the season.
Westbrook’s stats and his relentlessness prove he is the definition of a team player, but even with his tremendous play it is evident that he will need more help from the rest of the squad.
OKC does not have the dual threat All-Star attack they had the last few years. However, they do have multiple talented role-players. For example, Victor Oladipo, Doug McDermott, Taj Gibson, and the emerging Semaj Christon are players who have the potential to help Westbrook take this Thunder team to a whole knew level.
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We have seen glimpses of elite play but it has not been consistent throughout the season. With Westbrook, Oladipo, Kanter, Gibson, and Adams all averaging 10 or more points per game, the Thunder surely have enough fire power to contend with the top teams in the league.
I have no doubt that Russell will rally the troops and have them competing at their best heading into the playoffs.
The OKC Thunder must look to improve their positioning within the conference standings:
Q: Where will the Thunder finish the season?
The Thunder currently sit 6th in the conference with a 41-30 overall record and a 25-19 record within the conference. OKC will look to earn key wins and move their way up in the standings with 8 of the remaining 10 games being match-ups against 7 in-conference teams.
While playing 7 games against conference teams sounds like an intimidating number, only 3 of the teams have a record better than .500; the Rockets, the Spurs, and the Grizzlies. OKC is an even 4-4 against those three teams while going an assuring 7-3 against those below .500.
They are currently on pace to earn the 6th seed in the Western Conference and face the 3rd seeded Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs. This is not their ideal first round match-up due to dropping 2 of the 3 regular season games to the Rockets so far.
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OKC’s ideal situation would be to gain ground in the conference and move up into the top 5 teams. This would allow the Thunder to potentially be matched up with the teams which they have handled fairly well during the regular season; Jazz, Clippers, Grizzlies. In those games the Thunder have a combined 7-4 record.
Whether or not the Thunder end up bettering their spot in the standings, expect them to be at their best heading into playoffs. While other teams are resting their superstars, the Thunder’s are only getting better.
In the end, the success of the Thunder’s season will come down to 3 things; coaching, teamwork, and defeating Golden State when it matters. Trust Head Coach Billy Donovan and Russell Westbrook to have the Thunder ready to play down the final stretch of the season.