At the end of the 2021-22 season, the Oklahoma City Thunder had a record of 24-58, which was the lowest win percentage the franchise had seen since its season year in OKC following the relocation from Seattle. The very next year, the Thunder improved by 16 wins, finishing the 2022-23 campaign just below .500 at 40-42, en route to making the NBA Play-In Tournament and getting one win away from making the playoffs as the No. 8 seed.
This season — following Sunday’s 49-point victory over the Dallas Mavericks — Oklahoma City has officially earned the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference with a record of 57-25. It was another 17-win jump, as the team has increased its win total from 24 to 57 over the course of two years.
The Thunder has officially arrived, but how did the season unfold for the eventual top team in the West?
Preseason Projections
Entering this season, the Thunder was projected to win roughly 40 games. Based on other projected win totals around the league, that would have put OKC in the Play-In picture once again. While Oklahoma City as an organization doesn’t entertain outside noise, the expectation surrounding the young team was that there would be tangible improvement, but the Thunder would still not be quite ready to emerge as a contender yet.
Strong Start
The Thunder started the season strong, winning three of its first four contests. The only loss the Thunder faced in the first week of the 2023-24 season was against the reigning champion Denver Nuggets. At that point, there was a new sense of confidence surrounding the team that perhaps this group could be better than expected.
Hitting an Early Wall
After that solid start to the season, Oklahoma City really hit its first wall of the season. The team struggled in the first two games of the In-Season Tournament, ultimately going just 5-4 in the Thunder’s first nine games of the season. Playing at a 45-win pace to that point, the narrative then shifted back to this OKC squad still not being ready to really make a splash in the West.
First Win Streak
From there, the Thunder went on a six-game win streak, which ended up being tied for the longest the team would have all season. At 11-4 towards the end of November, the second youngest team in the NBA began to get significant recognition. It was still early in the season, but Oklahoma City was tied for first place in the Western Conference. But would it be sustainable?
Maintaining Success
For the next two months, the Thunder would bounce between the top three spots in the West. While the team wasn’t anywhere near perfect, Oklahoma City continued to win at a high rate and stick with the other top teams in the conference. One of the biggest factors in the Thunder not falling out of the top few seeds in the West was ensuring losing streaks didn’t occur. The most the team would lose during that stretch at any given point was two in a row.
After the All-Star Break
Following the NBA All-Star break in Indianapolis — where Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and several of his teammates had the chance to shine — the Thunder continued to cruise. Coming out of the break in action, the Thunder was the No. 2 seed behind the Minnesota Timberwolves at 37-17. Over the next 30 days following All-Star weekend, Oklahoma City won 12 of its next 15 games and held the No. 1 seed in the West for a week straight at one point.
Injuries and Adversity
The Thunder didn’t face much adversity this season from an injury standpoint, but late in March is when this team really struggled most. Over a span of action from March 24 to April 5, Oklahoma City went 3-5, most of which was due to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams missing time with injuries. The team went on its first (and only) three-game losing streak of the season. At that point, it looked like the top spot in the conference was starting to potentially get out of reach. The Thunder had fallen to the third seed and had a tough schedule ahead.
The Final Stretch
It took some luck along the way with the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves losing key games, but the Thunder won its final five contests and officially secured the No. 1 seed on Sunday afternoon. It was a race to the top that boasted a three-way tie entering the final day of the regular season, meaning tiebreakers would come into play. Everything worked out in Oklahoma City’s favor, which capped off a regular season at the top of the Western Conference standings.
In exactly a week, the Thunder will host Game 1 of its first-round series on Sunday in Oklahoma City. The opponent is still unknown, as the NBA’s Play-In Tournament will dictate who OKC will match up against in round one.