Prior to the start of the 2023/2024 season, the Oklahoma City Thunder had been largely written off as most believed the Thunder were still rebuilding, including Ross Lovelace from Inside Thunder who said that “no one thinks this team is ready to win it all or compete for a championship yet.” However, the Thunder have dominated throughout the NBA season and with less than two months until the start of the NBA Playoffs, they are currently tied for first place in the Western Conference, alongside the Timberwolves, both (41-17) .
The Thunder’s regular season success is no accident, as the Thunder are one of only two teams in the NBA to be in the top four in the league in both areas. defensive and offensive rating. The Thunder also ranks second in the league in overall net ratingwhich measures the teams’ point differential per 100 possessions.
The Thunder’s true shooting percentage, which measures a team’s efficiency in shooting the ball, is also ranked the highest in the league at 61.3 percent.
The last ten NBA seasons reveal further proof that the Thunder are one of the most legitimate contenders for the 2023-2024 season. Dating from San Antonio Spurs 2013-2014, the NBA champion was at the lowest the third seed in the Eastern or Western Conference. A top seed has won the championship in six of the last ten seasons, and a second/third seed have both won twice.
Following this model, the teams that currently have the best chance of winning the NBA championship are the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Minnesota Timberwolves; who are both tied for first place in the Western Conference, as well as the Boston Celtics, who hold the lead in the Eastern Conference.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, throughout the 2023-2024 NBA season, has become one of the best players in the NBA. All Star Game starterin addition to recently being ranked second in MVP vote for the league. “Thirty Point Shai,” as some call him, averages the second-most points in the league at 31.2 points per game. Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging over 30 points per game while primarily attacking the interior and midrange, which almost seems nostalgic in an era where many players specialize solely in outside shooting.
