best, worst, and most likely case scenario for the OKC Thunder this season
By Rylan Stiles
The worst-case scenario for the Oklahoma City Thunder is simply being in the middle
The Oklahoma City Thunder were in the playoffs two years ago, and since then, the OKC Thunder have won just 22 and 24 games in the seasons following the NBA Bubble. Where will they fall this year? That is to be determined, but the worst-case scenario for the season is pretty defined.
The worst-case scenario for the Oklahoma City Thunder is the 9th or 10th seed. You are probably shouting at your device saying “but that is the playoffs!” Well, yes, it would earn them an extra game or two in the play-in tournament but if the Thunder play a full 82-game season and the best they can do is the ninth seed that does less for their future than taking those last ten games and being artificially bad.
Would you rather play two extra games and get bounced by the Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans, or whoever is in the stacked Western Conference play-in game, or lose the last ten or so games and increase your odds at Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson, or any of the other very talented players in the 2023 NBA Draft such as the Thompson twins, Dariq Whitehead, Nick Smith, Cam Whitmore, and many more.