Oklahoma City Thunder: 3 reasons why they’re in the playoff hunt
The Oklahoma City Thunder weren’t supposed to be in the hunt for a playoff berth. So how have they accomplished this despite losing Russell Westbrook and Paul George?
The Oklahoma City Thunder have not had much luck over the past few seasons. Sure, they have gotten into the postseason in each of the past three years. Unfortunately, they were eliminated in the first round each time against the Portland Trail Blazers last season, the Utah Jazz the year before, and the Houston Rockets the year before that.
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And if that wasn’t bad enough, the offseason included the front office trading away two of its best players in Russell Westbrook and Paul George. Although they did acquire Chris Paul, Danilo Gallinari and a bounty of future draft picks, it would have questionable to label this team as a playoff contender.
Not only that, but many wondered if the team was heading toward hitting the reset button. This was certainly a valid question for any organization that would trade away two franchise cornerstones.
Taking that into consideration, the Thunder weren’t expected to do much this season. Despite the narrative though, they have managed to exceed expectations on multiple fronts. In fact, they are currently in the thick of the conference playoff race out west, something that wasn’t expected when the season began.
So in spite of this monumental turnover, how has this squad managed to do the seemingly unthinkable and thrive?
Here’s a look at how the Oklahoma City Thunder have positioned themselves to compete for a playoff berth in a tough Western Conference.