Following Sunday's win over the New Orleans Pelicans, this 2024-25 iteration of the OKC Thunder has officially set the franchise's all-time record for wins in a single season at 68.
Now, they head into the playoffs with history-setting momentum already on their side and with others well within their sights as they look to become the second-youngest team in league history to win a championship since the 1976 NBA-ABA merger.
However, despite their season-best record, elite talent pool headlined by MVP frontrunner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and possession of home-court advantage through the NBA Finals, there still seems to be some skepticism about Oklahoma City's chances of taking home the Larry O'Brien Trophy this year.
Though the most immediate concern relating to this Thunder team is concerning who their first-round opponent will wind up being following the Play-In Tournament, there are a few far more pertinent questions relating to this team that not only are still in need of answering but will ultimately decide their fate during this title-hopeful postseason run.
Can the Thunder stay healthy?
Though their league-leading record, defensive rating, net rating, and point differential may lead one to believe that the Thunder have had themselves quite a smooth and easy-breezy season, the reality is they've endured one of the more challenging campaigns in the association this year due, in large, to their injury woes.
From minor injuries to mere bench players to long-standing ailments sustained by franchise cornerstones, Oklahoma City has been a constant recipient of injury bug bites.
In total, nine core members of the rotation have missed double-digit games as a result of health-related issues, with five, in particular, being sidelined for 25 or more outings.
While they were fortunate to weather the storm of such a turbulent situation during an 82-game regular season, the playoffs are a lot more truncated as far as time is concerned and, in turn, are nowhere near as forgiving should injury woes pick back up again.
A fully healthy Thunder team should be able to continue their dominant level of play through the postseason. However, one or two unfortunate nicks or abrasions (especially to one of their stars) could prove to be absolutely devastating.
Will Chet Holmgren be able to find his 'rhythm?'
Perhaps the biggest name plagued by injuries on this Thunder team this year is Chet Holmgren, who missed roughly three months due to a right iliac wing fracture.
Prior to his fateful fall in mid-November, the big man was having quite an impressive follow-up to his standout rookie season, as he saw himself posting averages of 18.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 2.9 blocks on 51.9 percent shooting from the field and 40.0 percent shooting from deep through nine fully-healthy games.
Since being medically cleared to return to action in early February, however, it's been more than apparent that, though Holmgren has been posting solid numbers (14.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks on 38.0 percent shooting from deep), he's been far from consistent on a game-to-game basis and, frankly, nowhere near as menacing, especially on the offensive end.
As we at TI have noted on several occasions since his reinstatement into the rotation, it seems like for every game he posts 18 points and 10 rebounds, he has another where he's finishing with 5 points and 6 boards.
Of course, don't just take our word for it. Maybe you'd rather hear coach Mark Daigneault's take on the matter, as he admitted just two weeks ago that Holmgren is "not fully himself yet" and that he's still trying to find his on-court "rhythm."
Despite the fact that he did manage to wrap up his final five games of the regular season with sound on-paper averages of 17.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks on 50.0 percent shooting from the floor and 47.6 percent shooting from distance, the way in which he played still appeared to be a bit too hesitant and, frankly, out of rhythm compared to his pre-injury style.
Hopefully, he can tap back into form come the playoffs, as some could make the case that a fully locked-in Chet Holmgren is the ultimate difference maker (even above All-Star Jalen Williams) in Oklahoma City's championship quest.
Does a lack of postseason experience actually matter?
Over the past few weeks, one of the more buzzed-about reasons why people have started to question Oklahoma City's championship viability has been their lack of familiarity with postseason play.
For the vast majority of this club's core, last year's run was their first and only taste of playoff action up to this point -- sadly, we all know how that played out.
As veteran forward Marcus Morris Sr. recently argued, no one on this Thunder squad has "been to that mountain-top" or knows how to navigate through the "adversity" that comes along the way on a title-winning journey.
Now, though this case is based on a slight oversight, as Alex Caruso does, in fact, have championship experience from his time with the Lakers back in 2020, it is worth noting that, while he is a key role player within the rotation, it's not as if any one of OKC's core players in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, or Chet Holmgren has such experience.
Will the trio's limited knowledge of postseason play actually prove detrimental? Is this just one of those instances where a star player (in this case, SGA) is doubted until he finally wins the big game?
Only time will tell!