With the OKC Thunder in a virtual tie with a trio of teams vying for the bottom tier playoff seeds, Sam Presti has options and decisions to make prior to the trade deadline.
All season the OKC Thunder have battled to be in games and finally, their efforts are equating to victories. This week the team began the longest road trip (four games) they’ll undertake at one time which will occur on two separate occasions. That the club also experienced success on the road is more a tribute to constancy.
Of the 24 games played to date, OKC has reached the fourth quarter 20 times with an opportunity to win. That fact alone is incredible. But now the club is in a bit of a quandary. Entering the season of ‘repositioning and replenishing’ the belief was the club would be mired among the lottery teams vying for the top draft pick. It’s not like Sam Presti didn’t warn in the preseason presser the intention for this group was to remain competitive. Still, I’m not sure even the GM expected the club to be this competitive.
OKC will play the Nuggets on Saturday in a virtual three-way tie with the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings although they rank ninth based on the caveats that separate the teams such as wins versus each other and in their own division or conference. With a very tough schedule segment behind them, OKC sits on the precipice of being a playoff team.
Which brings us to the elephant in the room — should OKC want to make the playoffs?
It seems like a simple question but in truth, it’s much more complicated than it sounds. Of course, if you ask the players they’ll all say ‘heck ya’ but as a franchise, the long term view is a factor.
In the upcoming schedule segment, there will be ample opportunity for the team to win and move up the ladder and of course as of this Sunday (December 15th) those 150 players that signed this summer become eligible to be traded.