This offseason, a myriad of talented players migrate East largely because of the seismic gap between the OKC Thunder and San Antonio Spurs and the rest of the Western Conference landscape.
Headlined by LeBron James' signing with the Philadelphia 76ers, many suspected the Eastern Conference would be a season-long dogfight. The reigning champion New York Knicks, along with perennial contenders like the Cavs and Celtics, were set to embark on a gauntlet of a season in a conference oozing with talent.
During these infancy stages of the 2026-27 NBA season, however, it appears that both fans and pundits greatly underestimated the prowess of the West, and the Thunder may not have as easy a walk back to the Conference Finals as once believed.
Thunder may have much more competition in West than initially believed
As of Thursday, the Western Conference as a whole has won 18 more games than the Eastern Conference. In inter-conference games, the West is 28-10.
Through the Thunder's first 12 games last season, four teams in the West had at least eight wins.
This year, seven teams in the conference have eight or more wins.
The Denver Nuggets, who were thought to be one of OKC's toughest competitors, have begun the season on the playoff bubble at a mere 6-4.
In short, by no means will this season be a cakewalk.
The Thunder have already been given a run for their money, as surprise Western Conference teams like the Trail Blazers and Mavericks have already bested them.
Since the early barrage of injuries, the Thunder have struggled to keep their head above water, going 5-4 over the last nine games.
However, when eliminating wins against Eastern Conference teams, they are just 2-4.
Eastern Conference is ironically keeping Thunder in early playoff hunt
Coach Mark Daigneault and company can thank the East for their current seventh seed, as their three inter-conference wins have buoyed their standing.
It's in stark contrast to what was originally thought. The Knicks, Cavs, and Heat, among others, have all underwhelmed out of the gate, and they currently pale in comparison to younger, more energetic teams that are making names for themselves in the West.
Teams like the Mavs, Grizzlies, and Blazers were afterthoughts before the season, but they've now served to bolster what currently appears to be an insanely deep conference.
Now, it looks like the Thunder will have an even steeper uphill battle than originally thought to return to the Conference Finals. Only time will tell whether they can overcome the mounting obstacles in front of them.
Add us as a preferred source on Google