14. Oklahoma City Thunder
For as much as people wanted to crown the Oklahoma City Thunder as the “next team up” in the Western Conference, it’s clear that there’s still some growth that needs to take place for the team. And that’s not a bad thing. In fact, that’s supposed to be expected for a team that is as you as they are. But the Thunder have shown enough through the first six games of the season that suggests they should, at the very least, be in the postseason conversation this year.
Whether or not this is the year that they break through remains to be seen. But they have the talent to make life difficult team for any Western Conference contender in a seven-game series. If there is one concern about the Thunder, it’s the fact that they don’t do any one thing particularly well. They’re near average on both ends of the floor. Quite frankly, that’s not going to cut it if they’re hoping to take a tangible step forward this season.
There’s a lot to like about the Thunder moving forward. I just don’t know how quickly they’re going to continue to grow as a team. Could it happen as soon as during the second half of the season? Sure.