3 surprise teams that could be major threats to Thunder in Western Conference

The OKC Thunder are without question in an enviable position heading into the 2024-25 campaign.

After setting the record for being the youngest team in league history to not only finish as the top-seed in a conference standings but, also, to win a playoff series, Oklahoma City went out and shored up many of their weaknesses from last season this summer what with the addition of Alex Caruso via trade and Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency.

These fresh new commodities, accompanied by the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and the rest of the returning cast have many fans and pundits alike believing that reigning Coach of the Year, Mark Daigneault's squad is the most likely team to dethron the Boston Celtics as NBA Champions during this upcoming campaign.

Of course, before they can take a swing at the league crown, the Thunder will have to advance beyond the Western Conference where, even outside of the regularly discussed heavy hitters, there could be some serious threats awaiting.

Under-the-radar threats to OKC Thunder in the Western Conference

Be it with NBA Draft decisions, blockbuster transactions, or anything in between, this offseason many of the lesser-ranked clubs out West have managed to improve quite considerably, some of which are getting to the point where, if all goes right, they could prove to be legitimate threats to make waves and take down the conference juggernauts like the Nuggets, Mavs, and Thunder come playoff time.

While hope and confidence in OKC's abilities to build upon last season's successes should be rather high, there are a few squads, in particular, that could give them, along with the several others in the running for the conference's crown, a bit of concern as we inch closer to the start of training camps and, ultimately, the upcoming regular season.

New Orleans Pelicans

As alluded to before, this exercise is largely based on the concept of "if all goes right," and, should this happen for the New Orleans Pelicans, they could easily find themselves in the running for a top-five seed in the conference standings this coming season.

Now, what would it look like if everything went according to plan for NOLA?

Well, first and foremost, it would involve their otherworldly talented power forward, Zion Williamson staying healthy for the entirety of the season, both regular and post.

Throughout his five-year campaign, the 24-year-old has managed to play in 60 or more games just twice, once in 2020-21 and then this past season where he saw action on a career-high, 70 occasions.

During said years, he would go on to post sensational, All-Star-earning combined averages of 24.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.4 assists while shooting a highly efficient 59.0 percent from the field.

This last season, his presence helped lead the charge to a whopping 49 wins on the year, which, though saw them finish as the ninth seed out West, was a mere two victories behind the fourth-seeded LA Clippers.

Assuming he can stave off any more chomps from the injury bug (a big ask, we know), this availability to the Pelicans should prove to be invaluable as it has since his arrival back in 2019.

This accompanied by the proven All-Star contributions of both small forward Brandon Ingram and newly acquired floor general, Dejounte Murray (last he served as an unquestioned lead guard he posted elite all-around averages of 21.2 points, 9.2 assists, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.0 steals a night) could prove to have the makings of a lethal two-way trio.

Having the proven talen and consistent borderline All-Star CJ McCollum (has averaged 21.1 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.4 rebounds on 40.7 percent shooting from deep since arriving in the Big Easy) serving as the club's fourth option only makes a full healthy Pelicans team all the more menacing heading into 2024-25.

Sacramento Kings

Not two years ago, the Sacramento Kings made the long-awaited leap from being seen as a consistent lottery team to a 48-win, third-seeded contender in the incredibly tough Western Conference.

Let's not pretend that they just imploded this past campaign simply because they didn't qualify for the playoffs -- 46 wins is nothing to scoff at and, in the Eastern Conference, it would have had them slotted into a top-eight seed without question.

Frankly, the biggest reason why the team fell so far down from their previous top-three finish is not due to a regression in their play but, rather, their decision to stay the same.

Sacramento remained somewhat complacent in 2023-24 while other West playoff teams such as the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns all went about and made significant alterations heading into and throughout the campaign.

Even squads that fell on the outside looking in on a postseason berth such as the the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors shook things up in an effort to improve their standings in the conference and, though it may not have led them to a top-eight finish, it still made them more competitive and difficult for opposing teams like the Kings to square off against.

Considering how the front office went about and handled things this offseason, it's evident that the Kings have learned their lesson.

While keeping the club's cornerstone duo of De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis together, the organization went about and added a new centerpiece into the mix with the acquisition of six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan, who will presumably be taking over the third role in the pecking order that was previously held by the underwhelming and clearly regressed talent of Harrison Barnes.

The significance of the veteran's arrival is not only the fact that he is an established All-NBA stud who's coming off yet another impressive season where he dropped 24.0 points, 5.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.1 steals while shooting 48.0 percent from the floor on a nightly basis and is now going to serve as the tertiary option alongside Fox and Sabonis.

Alongside these very significant talking points, what's incredibly important to understand is that DeRozan will be bringing his well-documented clutch gene out to Sacramento, which is something the team desperately needed last year on the offensive side of the ball.

2023-24's runner-up and, in 2022-23, the third-place finisher for the Clutch Player of the Year award, the 35-year-old's expertise will be of great use to this Kings team during crunch time, as they proved to be a bottom-12 unit last year in the conversion department during the final five minutes of action when the scoring margin was within five points.

With DeRozan now in tow, perhaps they can end up coming away from such situations with a win more frequently -- even as little as four more outcomes ending in their favor would have been enough to clinch a top-five seed.

Though it will take the entire team to get back to the status they were at two years ago, sometimes even just one extra player can make all the difference (just ask the Thunder and their addition of a healthy Chet Holmgren last season).

Memphis Grizzlies

Before the OKC Thunder were the darlings of the Western Conference being tabbed as the next great young team to beat, there were the Memphis Grizzlies.

With a core led by the likes of superstar guard Ja Morant, All-Star and Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr., and rising offensive stud Desmond Bane, Grind City proved themselves to be an absolute powerhouse, particularly from 2021 through 2023 where, over this two-season span, they laid claim to two straight second-seed finishes and accumulated a total of 107 wins.

They even embarked on a playoff journey just as far as Oklahoma City did in 2023-24.

Unfortunately for them, however, their upward trajectory endured a steep drop last year due, in large, to the suspension and, upon his return, injuries of Morant among other health-related issues that seemed to spread around the team like the bubonic plague.

Now, following their 27-win run, Memphis looks driven to take part in a redemption campaign for the ages, and, with the statuses of Morant, Bane, and Jackson Jr. all presumably at full-go, their returns to the lineup and being accompanied by a truly impressive and well-rounded supporting cast of Marcus Smart, Luke Kennard, Vince Williams Jr., and GG Jackson has many once again viewing them as a threat to claim their third top-three seed in four years.

Oh, and did we mention they also went about and addressed their most glaring rotational weakness by drafting the behemoth 7-foot-4, 300 pound big, Zach Edey (one of current favorites to win Rookie of the Year) to have man their starting center spot?

While the odds are the Thunder will still end up as one of the best teams not just in their conference but in the entire association this coming year, there are many opposing ball clubs that could give them a run for their money on the ladder board.

Out of all the under-the-radar teams, the Memphis Grizzlies are the ones Oklahoma City should be paying the most attention to.