3 Takeaways from the OKC Thunder's blowout win over the Washington Wizards

Beating up on Bad Teams

The Thunder currently sit near the top of the Western Conference standings at 39-17, tied with division rival the Minnesota Timberwolves for first place. However, the Thunder are far from locked into their playoff seeding, as the Clippers (37-18) and the Denver Nuggets (38-19) are both playing excellent basketball and have their sights set on catching the Thunder.

With that in mind, the Thunder have created a six-game cushion between themselves and the fifth -place New Orleans Pelicans who are currently 34-23. Therefore, the Thunder's odds of hosting a first-round playoff series for the first time since the 2017-18 season, only the second time since Kevin Durant departed are in their favor.

How did they get to this point? They capitalize when they play bad teams. The Thunder have a crisp 17-5 record against sub.500 teams this season. Beating teams that they are supposed to beat is an important step in separating themselves from being a good team versus a great team.

Another aspect that makes the above record so eye-catching is the fact the Thunder is such a young team, the fact they have not become complacent is remarkable. Head coach Mark Daignault deserves eminence credit for keeping the team focused against weaker competition.