Oklahoma City Thunder: 3 reasons they’re still legitimate contenders

The Oklahoma City Thunder have had an inconsistent and disappointing regular season. What makes them legit title contenders and a dangerous playoff team?

The Oklahoma City Thunder have had a disappointing season overall. They also have been one of the most inconsistent teams in the entire NBA. After a rough 0-4 start to the season, the Thunder went on a seven-game win streak to get back on track.

At the NBA All-Star break in February, the Thunder were at their peak. Oklahoma City was sitting at third in the deep Western Conference at 37-20 with just 25 games left. Although they had one of the hardest remaining schedules at the time, it still seemed almost certain the Thunder would win 50 games. Paul George was playing at an MVP level and shouldering a large part of the team’s offensive load.

Since their hot streak heading into the All-Star break, Oklahoma City has won just 38.1 percent of its games, going 8-13 to this point. Now, with just four games remaining, the Thunder are 45-33 and seventh in the West. George has cooled off, and although he’s still playing great, he’s no longer playing like the MVP candidate he was before. Overall, the Thunder’s offense is fourth-worst in the NBA since the break, with an offensive rating of 106.3.

Although the Oklahoma City Thunder seem like they hit their peak too early in the season and are trending the wrong direction heading into the playoffs, they still are a nightmare of a matchup that no team wants to play in the first round of the playoffs. As the Thunder head into the postseason, here are three reasons they are still legitimate contenders.