Once again, the Oklahoma City Thunder are the team to catch in the National Basketball Association.
I know there’s the Miami Heat and their incredible line-up and there’s Jeremy Lin making waves in New York. But they’re still all behind the Thunder.
I say “once again” because this year is just like last year, as Oklahoma City appears to be the team with the greatest chance of winning the West and making it to the final. They were just two games of Dirk Nowitzki magic away from the finals last year, and you can guarantee that it hasn’t been forgotten.
And if they can go that close from a fourth-seed spot, imagine what they could do as the runaway conference leaders – because that’s exactly what they’re doing this year.
Sitting at 27-7 and a full three games ahead of the San Antonio Spurs in second, few sides boast the ability to take down this point-scoring, game-winning machine that is working its magic in Oklahoma City.
The struggling Lakers? The ageing Spurs? The temperamental Mavericks? The young Clippers?
They may all have the potential to beat the Thunder, but teams aren’t measured on their potential. Teams are measured on their wins. And winning is exactly what the Thunder are doing.
Statistically, they’re the most dominant team in the league.
Oklahoma City currently sit top-six in the league for points scored per game, winning margin, field goal percentage, field goal percentage allowed, defensive rebounds, defensive rebounds allowed and assists.
Throw into that Kevin Durant, who is arguably the best player in the game, as well as players like Russel Westbrook and Serge Ibaka and you have one very, very strong team.
It’s little wonder that the Thunder have the best record in the league and have only dropped one match at home. They are currently on a five-game winning streak and one must wonder how long the streak could last if they continue to play as dominantly and explosively as they currently are.
March isn’t the easiest of months for the Thunder, but there’s not a single game in the next two weeks that they won’t be favoured to win.
They’ve got a tough road trip to Philadelphia, Orlando and Atlanta, and it’s highly likely that Durant and the boys will drop a win somewhere in there.
But with five home games in a row after that, you’ve got to think that the No. 1 seed in the West might already be done and dusted and every other game from here on in is simply just the mini-battle as to see who gets to take on the champion.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are expected to win the West, and they will.
They’re expected to enter the playoffs as the toughest team to beat at home, and they will be.
Whether they’ll go all the way this year remains to be seen, but if they continue to rack up the points and wins with the proficiency that they’re currently showing, you’ve got to think they’ll come close.
Like, seriously close.
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