Since the NBA’s All-Star break, the Oklahoma City Thunder have looked everything but like a contender in the Western Conference
For much of the season, in large part thanks to an impressive NBA MVP campaign from Paul George, the Oklahoma City Thunder looked like a team that could potentially upend the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference playoffs.
However, over the course of the last couple of months, the Thunder have taken a big step back instead of taking one forward. Since the start of the push towards the playoffs, the Thunder have looked anything but like a contender.
After a disappointing Sunday night loss to the Dallas Mavericks, the Thunder are sitting at 44-33, and in the 8th spot in the West. They’re squarely looking at a first-round matchup against the Warriors.
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Since the all-star break, the Thunder are only 7-13. A mark that would rank 10th in the West. Over that span the Thunder also have the second-worst offense in the NBA. The only saving grace for the Thunder has been their top 10 defense and the exceptional play of George.
But even then, that won’t be enough to save this team as the playoffs approach. OKC is safely in the post-season, but with the way they’re playing it would be a huge surprise if this team made it out of the first round against an equally matched team, like the Rockets, Jazz or Blazers, much less against the likes of the Warriors or Nuggets.
Earlier this season the Thunder appeared destined for a deep playoff run, even in a deep Western Conference. However, much has changed over the course of the last couple of months.
The only potential dark horse for OKC is the fact that they have two superstars on their roster, and when you have two players as talented as Russell Westbrook and Paul George, you’re always going to have a chance in a playoff series.
With less than two weeks until the start of the playoffs, though, you can’t love from what we’ve seen from the Thunder lately.