Oklahoma City Thunder: 2017-18 NBA season preview

Predictions

It’s nearly impossible to pick a team other than the Golden State Warriors to win the title, even with the amount of talent amassed in Oklahoma City. But that being said, this star grouping on the Thunder has the potential to be something special, and certainly fun to watch.

This is not the Los Angeles Lakers of a few seasons ago, with three aging stars past their primes and the fourth waylaid with injuries from the start. These are three healthy, proud men who have never won a title and will have their best shot at doing so in Oklahoma City.

There will be growing pains, and this team will drop a few games out of the gate. But there will also be times of special play, where the offensive ceiling clicks and the Thunder run teams off the court. Look for that on opening night against the New York Knicks.

By midseason it will be clear that Westbrook is not going to repeat as MVP, but this team will be fighting for playoff positioning with Houston and San Antonio. In the end they will claim the third-seed, just behind the Rockets. After dropping the Timberwolves in six games, they will go the distance with Houston and win Game 7 on the road, propelling them to the Western Conference Finals.

Next: Minnesota Timberwolves: 2017-18 NBA season preview

There they meet their match, falling to the Warriors in six games. But for a team that one year ago was facing the bitter reality of a future without Kevin Durant, the Thunder will have brought something back to Oklahoma City. The new-look Thunder will finish 54-28, third in the Western Conference and first in the Northwest Division.