The Oklahoma City Thunder are in the midst of their midseason break, which comes at a much-needed time, as these eight days off will allow them to rest and replenish their depth before they return to the court on Friday against the Brooklyn Nets.
The Thunder are once again sitting at the top spot of the West and control their own destiny. Despite undergoing injury turmoil till this point, OKC is in a position to make another run at a title. Still, today we ask: How does this year’s Thunder compare to last year’s Thunder, which would go on to prove to the doubters that they had what it took to win a ring?
Are the Thunder on track to become back-to-back champs for the first time in the 2020s?
The records between the two teams are quite similar. This year’s Thunder is currently 42-14 and has 26 games remaining when they return from break. Last year’s team was slightly ahead, as they were 44-10 at the break. While it’s perceived that these two teams have played at similar levels through the All-Star break, the level of competition has increased.
Last season, the margin was much larger, as OKC was ahead of the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies by eight games heading into the break. This eight-game lead, combined with the Thunder only losing four games for the remainder of the season, propelled OKC to lock up the first seed by late-March.
This year’s Thunder doesn’t have that luxury, as this Thunder team is only three games ahead of the San Antonio Spurs, who are rolling and have put the rest of the NBA on notice for the top seed. The West is clearly more competitive, resulting in a tighter race across the conference this year, with the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves eight games back of the Thunder, compared to the second-place team last year.
Obtaining the one seed isn’t the end-all, be-all, as health is the main priority, with the big picture for the Thunder being winning the NBA Championship. However, with the entire league’s goal of dethroning this year’s Thunder team, they will face more pressure as the hunted in the back half of the season. Therefore, the Thunder must maintain home-court advantage in the playoffs.
Talking about health. One pivotal factor for this year’s team is the number of injuries compared to last season. The Thunder’s struggles have been more evident this year, with multiple key players missing significant stretches, making the Thunder look vulnerable.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has already missed more games this season (seven) than the entirety of last season, in which he missed a total of six games.
Injuries have derailed Jalen Williams’ season, as he has already missed 30 games, compared to 13 all of last year. Other key players, including Isaiah Hartenstein, Alex Caruso, Ajay Mitchell, Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, Kenrich Williams, and Jaylin Williams, have all missed 10-plus games.
OKC’s main priority will be to keep its key players healthy during the back half of the season, so that the Thunder are a full force come playoff time.
OKC may not be clicking like they were last year at this point, but that could be a blessing in disguise, as each year presents new challenges and obstacles on the path to an NBA Championship. While these two Thunder teams aren’t the same, it doesn’t mean the final results won’t be.
Main Image: © Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
