OKC Thunder season preview roundtable Q10: Greatest roster concern, win total prediction

Bonus 11

How many wins will the OKC Thunder collect this season? More importantly, will OKC make it back to the Western Conference Finals?

Lawrence George – @geola388

I have OKC reaching somewhere between 51-55 wins based on the number of games they blew and the upgraded roster.

Whether they reach the WCF depends on the health of Roberson and if they make a mid-season splash. At the moment, I have them reaching the second round without Dre but its difficult to see them go any further without him. With a healthy Roberson, I am all in on OKC.

Tamberlyn Richardson – @TTOTambz

Health determines so much. In reflection of last season the toll Paul George’s body took without Andre Roberson available was significant. Unfortunately, he begins the season without ARob’s services and won’t have him back at least until December. The difference is this OKC Thunder squad have depth which bodes well for a strong season performance and a deep run. Still Roberson’s return is key to my prediction.

The goal is to avoid Golden State until the Western Conference Finals. Therefore I’m picking OKC to win 55 games and to pull some creative jockeying at season end to make sure they align to avoid their nemesis in round two. Assuming ARob returns then yes, I believe this is the year OKC return to WCF.

Gideon Lim – @GideonLim_NBA

We made it to 48 wins last year, so I’m gonna keep it that way. Russ and Dre are out, chemistry issues with Schroder will persist, and LBJ makes the West even tougher. So no jump in wins for me, even though I think the squad will look better. As for playoff predictions, welcome to Season 10 of ‘Gideon being overly-optimistic about his sports team’ – I say yes, we go to the WCF.

Dylan Huntzinger – @ThunderChats

I think we finish with 55-60 wins. And I predicted a title early this summer, I can’t back down now. I think as far as defense there isn’t a team that matches up with the Warriors like we do. And seeing that they are two time defending champs, and seemingly the team to beat, that’s pretty important. Offensively we have a chance to make more noise than we have with the addition of Dennis, and adding Patterson to the starting lineup. So yeah, WCF or bust people!

Reid Belew – @UpJimbo

I’m going to say 51 – 53 wins. I don’t think we’ll make the WCF, but I want us to so bad.

Jordan Buckamneer – @jbuckamneer

I’m putting the line for the Thunder this year at 55.5 and I’m taking the under at 53 wins. That’s five wins more than last year, but the West got a bit stiffer this season. Depending on your opinion of the Lakers, OKC will probably finish as high as third and low as sixth in the conference. Which means we will face either Utah, San Antonio, Portland and maybe even New Orleans or Denver.

Regardless, those are teams we should beat if healthy (in theory). The second round, however, is where we would likely see Houston, Golden State or Los Angeles. It’s going to be tough no matter how you slice it, but I think OKC would advance past Houston (again, if healthy) and Los Angeles to make the Western Conference Finals. But if Houston is the No. 1 seed again and we end up in the bottom half of the bracket, I just don’t see the Thunder, or any team, beating Golden State in seven games.

Amy Li – @realkimchiwitch

It’s so hard to say with the even more West-heavy league this year. I put them at 54 wins, 6 more than last year’s 47 wins. And as for the playoffs, I am betting they edge out Houston or, heck even Golden State or LA, in Round 2 with 6 games in a surprise underdog situation. Yes, they’re making it to Western Conference Finals.

Alex Roig – @AlexRoig_NTTB

53 and yes!

Austin Sternlicht – @The_Sternlicht

The Thunder finish with the four seed and lose to the Golden State Warriors in the second round in six games.

Stephen Dolan – @SteveThunderfan

They were a 55-56 win team last year if you take out the 8-12 start. The team should be better, and the West should be better. Give me 57. And you bet your bottom dollar they’ll be back. (But don’t bet your bottom dollar. That’d be dumb.)

Asad Ali Jamal – @SuperCyrax98

I believed the OKC Thunder would finish third seed with 55 wins until the news of Roberson. Now, I’m not too sure about that. Now, I would say to expect the Thunder to win 50 games which should be good for the third or fourth seed. Assuming nothing derails the Thunder’s season, I fully expect OKC to make it to the Western Conference Finals this season. This is the deepest team the Thunder have had in years and it is dripping in both potential and talent.

Alex Mcewen – @eflame_717

Full disclosure I am not good with win totals, I will say 56 victories this season, an increase of eight wins when compared to last season.

As for a long-awaited return to the Western Conference Finals (WCF) by their own standards, as of the time of this writing, it is unlikely it happens. At the same time if OKC does advance to the WCF it will be disappointing, due to the fact Oklahoma City has no good excuse not to return to the WCF.  As the Brodie always says Why Not?

Rylan Stiles – @Rylan_Stiles

The Thunder will win 55-games this season in the tough Western Conference. Yes, the OKC Thunder will make it to the Western Conference Finals this year.

Tailor Finney – @taaayy3

The thought of not making it make back after the work put in to build this roster makes my stomach knot, but I think we will do it if our lineup can remain healthy. I’m going to predict that we clinch 54 wins this season, I think we have got the potential to do better than last year, but it’ll once again be a season of trial and error, so maybe not much better.