OKC Thunder week 5 power rankings – Continued progress and TI’s top 10

Week five power ranking lists find the OKC Thunder ascending rapidly citing their defensive improvement. And, TI serves up our top 10 list.

Being the hottest team in the NBA for the past few weeks it was inevitable the OKC Thunder would rise up the ranks. Although it’s questionable why every pundit didn’t rank OKC in their top five.

But, hey that’s why as fans we clamor to see what each major site and writer’s opinions are. In fairness, this season is definitely much different than most expected. Prior to season start the majority of scribes had handed the Golden State Warriors the top spot with the Houston Rockets inked in at number two in the West.

As for the Eastern Conference the majority listed the Boston Celtics as the team most likely to succeed LeBron James’ Cavaliers as the dominant East force. And, most cited Joel Embiid‘s Philadelphia 76ers and Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s Milwaukee Bucks as their key rivals. Toronto was in the mix, but few expected them to have the best record in the NBA by game 20.

I’d bet there isn’t one list which had each of the Memphis Grizzlies, LA Clippers, Sacramento Kings, Charlotte Hornets and Orlando Magic all seeded as November drew to a close.

Or that the New Orleans Pelicans, San Antonio Spurs, Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards would not be in the mix. Definitely, shifts can happen with over 60 games remaining. But, at the quarter pole history dictates not much will change. So, watch for an article this week which details the odds of unseeded teams not making the cut.

Pundits ranked the OKC Thunder from a high of 2nd to a low of 7th. With that, let’s dive into my top 10 from week five and where the pundits ranked the OKC Thunder on their power ranking lists.