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Los Angeles Lakers vs. Thunder preview (Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals)

Posted on May 5, 2026 by Alex Roig

#4 Los Angeles Lakers (4-2) vs. #1 Oklahoma City Thunder (4-0)
When: Tuesday, 05 May 2026 at 7:30pm CST
Where: Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, OK
TV: NBC / Peacock
Playoff Offensive Rating: LAL: 107.4 (12th) / OKC: 126.9 (1st)
Playoff Defensive Rating: LAL: 105.2 (4th) / OKC: 109.0 (8th)
Playoff Net Rating: LAL: 2.3 (7th) / OKC: 17.8 (2nd)
Series Record: 0-0

The Tip-Off

Six of the last seven NBA champs have all succumbed in their repeat attempts by this round in the playoffs. The 2018-19 Golden State Warriors, who had won the previous two titles before that, made it all the way back to the NBA Finals, but then suffered the “plagues of Egypt” series in which they lost both Kevin Durant (Achilles) and Klay Thompson (ACL) to series and “the following season”-ending injuries. The champions of that series, the Toronto Raptors, were then ousted by the Boston Celtics in the 2nd round the following season in The Bubble. The Bubble champ Los Angeles Lakers didn’t make it out of the first round after being a play-in team the following year, losing to Phoenix in the 2021 playoffs, four games to two. The 2021 champ, the Milwaukee Bucks, got knocked out in the 2nd round of the 2022 playoffs Boston, who won the series in seven games. Golden State had their one last hurrah that season, winning the title against the young Celtics. The following season, the Warriors lost in the 2nd round to the Lakers in six games. The 2023 champ, the Denver Nuggets lost the following season in the 2nd round to their hated rivals, the Minnesota Timberwolves in seven games. Boston finally broke through in the 2024 Finals, winning against the Dallas Mavericks in five games. Then, last season, Jayson Tatum tears his Achilles in the second round versus the New York Knicks and Boston loses that series 4-2. That opened the door for the Oklahoma City Thunder to win the title and here we stand now: the OKC Thunder in the 2nd round, looking to defend their title.

The Season Series

Game 1 – November 12th, 2025 – Both teams came into this game charged up, as this was supposed to be one of Oklahoma City’s biggest tests early in the season. They had just got done dispatching the Golden State Warriors in grand fashion the night before and now had to face the Luka Doncic-led Lakers. The Lakers were without LeBron James for that game, but the Thunder were also without Jalen Williams and Lu Dort. But they did have Cason Wallace, who put on a defensive masterclass against Doncic, and led OKC to a blowout victory, 121-92.

Game 2 – February 9th, 2026 – OKC was missing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in this one, while the Lakers were also missing Doncic. But it was a return game for Dub, who came back after missing the previous 2.5 weeks with a hamstring strain. The game was close throughout, but Dub upped his physicality in the fourth quarter, constantly driving to the basket and earning trips to the free throw line. He went 3/6 FG shooting in the 4th and capped it off with 4 free throws at the end. OKC won 119-110.

Game 3 – April 2nd, 2026 – A lot like their first meeting of the season, both teams came into this game looking to gauge their abilities against the top teams in the league. The Lakers were riding high, having jumped all the way up to the 3rd slot in the conference. And OKC was finally the healthiest it had been all season. Oklahoma City came out the gates red-hot and the game eventually turned into a dud, as both Austin Reaves and Doncic exited with injuries. OKC’s largest lead in the game was 46 and they led wire to wire, winning 139-96.

Game 4 – April 9th, 2026 – Entering this game, OKC was looking to maintain it’s lead over San Antonio for best record in the league. And LA entered this game looking to get healthy. Their trio of James, Doncic, and Reaves sat out this game and OKC won going away, 123-87.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

Line: OKC -15.5
O/U: 213.5

Injury Report

OKC

Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)
Jalen Williams – OUT (hamstring)

LAL

Luka Doncic – OUT (hamstring)

Three Big Things

Force Turnovers – The Lakers rank dead last for playoff teams in protecting the ball. The turned the ball over 17.7 times per game in the Houston series and had a turnover percentage of 18.8%. To do that while also having the 2nd slowest team in the playoffs is a recipe for disaster for Los Angeles. If OKC is able to play their game and continue this trend for the Lakers, the series may be over in three games.
Offensive Rebounds – Another area where the Lakers struggled in their series against Houston was in securing defensive rebounds. For the playoffs, the Lakers rank last with a 65.5% Defensive Rebound percentage for the teams that are still remaining in the playoffs. Consequently, the Thunder rank 2nd in playoff teams in Offensive Rebound percentage. If OKC can consistently get 2nd chance points, of which they are 2nd among playoff teams, then that opens up another avenue for OKC to get more points against LA.
SGA – It’s not the Clippers, but it’s still an LA team. SGA always seems to get up for games against any LA opponent. And now he’ll have the chance to play at least 4 games against them.

Thunder @ Toronto Raptors preview (Game 59 of 82)

Posted on February 24, 2026 by Alex Roig

Oklahoma City Thunder (44-14, 1st in the West) @ Toronto Raptors (34-23, 5th in the East)
When: Tuesday, 24 February 2026 at 6:30pm CST
Where: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
TV: FDSN-OK
Offensive Rating: TOR: 113.8 (16th) / OKC: 117.7 (4th)
Defensive Rating: TOR: 111.7 (6th) / OKC: 106.1 (1st)
Net Rating: TOR: 2.1 (11th) / OKC: 11.6 (1st)
Current Streaks: TOR & OKC: Both teams are winners of last 2 games and 4-1 in their last 5 games

The Tip-Off

The Chase to the Finish. Oklahoma City put themselves in good position when they started the season 24-1. They gave themselves a cushion that many teams never have the luxury of experiencing that early in the season. And they’ve needed every little bit of that cushion since then. Injuries, fatigue, and general post-championship malaise have plagued the Thunder over their last 33 games since that blistering start. Now the Thunder have to continuously be looking in the rearview mirror at the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs, like they are cop cars. Detroit finds themselves a game behind the Thunder in the overall league standings, while San Antonio, who already owns the tie-breaker over OKC, is 2.5 games back in the West standings. The ultimate goal of any regular season is to position yourself to have home-court advantage throughout the playoffs (see the 2024-25 OKC Thunder). But for a playoff-tested outfit like the Thunder, health may be a more important focus as the regular season churns towards it’s final month and a half. We’ll soon find out if that cushion was big enough for the Thunder.

This is the second and final meeting of the season between the Thunder and Raptors. Toronto won the first meeting 103-101 in a game where the Thunder faltered late and struggled on the boards.

Betting Info, provided by FanDuel

Line: TOR -1
O/U: 216.5

Injury Report

OKC

Alex Caruso – Questionable (ankle)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – OUT (abdominal strain)
Chet Holmgren – Questionable (back spasms)
Ajay Mitchell – OUT (abdominal strain)
Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)
Jalen Williams – OUT (hamstring)

TOR

Chucky Hepburn – OUT (knee/meniscus)
Jakob Poeltl – OUT (back)

Three Big Things

Toronto’s poor 3-point shooting – Toronto is 26th in 3-point FGs made with 11.5 makes per game and 26th in 3-point FG percentage per game at 34.4%. This plays into OKC’s defensive ethos of primarily defending the paint and then running out to the open 3-point shooters.
Getting back on defense – Toronto leads the league in fast break points per game at 19.3. Conversely, the Thunder are the best at defending fast break points, allowing only 11.8 fast break points per game. This stat probably comes down to perimeter misses and rebounding. Toronto’s length allows them to recover on to open shooters and disrupt shots. This leads to long rebounds and the ability for Toronto to get out on the break.
Isaiah Joe – Over the last 6 games, Isaiah Joe is averaging 18.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 2 steals on 48/56/92 shooting splits. He has a 13.7 net rating over that span to go along with a 73.6% True Shooting Percentage. Many times, he has been OKC’s most dangerous offensive option with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Ajay Mitchell, and Jalen Williams missing much, if not all, of the last 6 games. It is not an understatement that the Thunder go as Joe goes while their three main handlers are out with injuries.

Thunder @ Toronto Raptors preview (Game 22 of 82)

Posted on December 5, 2024 by Alex Roig

Oklahoma City Thunder (16-5) at Toronto Raptors (7-15)
When: Thursday, 05 December 2024 at 6:30pm CST
Where: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
Offensive Rating – TOR: 112.0 (18th) / OKC: 114.7 (8th)
Defensive Rating – TOR: 115.0 (22nd) / OKC: 103.9 (1st)
Net Rating – TOR: -3.0 (20th) / OKC: 10.8 (1st)

The Set-Up

When I look at the Toronto Raptors, I get a sense of Deja Vu. It’s almost like the Thunder can look at the Raptors and question whether they’ve seen this movie before. A team that had a good run of it (hell, even got a championship out of their window) and then decided they needed to switch into rebuild mode. To make it even more similar, they hired themselves a coach that used to coach the Thunder’s G-League team and was an assistant with the Thunder for several years in Darko Rajakovic. In addition, they decided to stack their cupboard with young players and assets. Sound familiar yet? Well, how about this last little tidbit? The rebuilding Toronto Raptors play hard every game…kind of like the Thunder did when they were coming up several years ago. To the point where, in the East, they may be, dare I say, too good to tank. Even though they are sitting eight games under .500, they are just a game and a half out of the 10th spot in their conference. The Raptors may be rebuilding, but this won’t be an easy game.

This is the first of two meetings this year between these two teams. The Thunder have won 3 of the last 4 meetings dating back to the 2022-23 season.

Betting Info

Line: OKC -9.5
O/U: 226.5

Injury Report

OKC

Ousmane Dieng – OUT (finger)
Alex Ducas – OUT (hip)
Chet Holmgren – OUT (hip)
Nikola Topic – OUT (knee)
Jaylin Williams – OUT (hamstring)

TOR

D.J. Carton – GTD (ankle)
Ulrich Chomche – GTD (illness)
Gradey Dick – GTD (calf)
Kelly Olynyk – OUT (back)
Jakob Poeltl – GTD (illness)

Three Big Things

Manning The Middle – The Raptors lead the league in points in the paint and are last in the league in percentage of points from the 3-point line. This plays heavily into the Thunder’s defensive plan of attack, as they like to sink in to protect the paint, while flying out to contest 3-point shots. But it’s the Thunder, so you know someone on the Raptors who has struggled shooting from deep has a high possibility of breaking out in this game (here’s looking at Davion Mitchell and his 27.8% 3-point shooting percentage).
Rebounding – If there is one place where the Raptors may stay in the game with the Thunder, its on the boards. The Raptors are 2nd in the league in rebounding, 4th in total rebounds, 1st in Offensive Rebound percentage, and 3rd in 2nd chance points. Jakob Poeltl and the big wings of Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett do a good job of cleaning up the glass. If there is anything that galvanizes a young team, especially at home, it’s usually 2nd chance points. Hopefully, the Thunder can withstand the minutes where Isaiah Hartenstein is not on the floor.
Homecoming – It’s always a fun time when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort return back to their home country and show out. It’s even provided SGA with an avenue to breakout his new signature logo as the face of Converse.

https://twitter.com/CrainNBA/status/1864718571143618570

The Monster We Created

Posted on June 11, 2019 by Alex Roig

As I was sitting there watching Kevin Durant writhe in pain on the ScotiaBank Arena floor, I couldn’t help but wonder if part of the reason he was on the floor at all was because of the boogeyman we had all created. Why did Durant feel compelled to be on the floor, when it was apparent he wasn’t ready to be there at all? I couldn’t help but feel like his decision on June 10th, 2019 was still tied to his decision on July 4th, 2016.

I still feel a sense of disdain for the decision Durant made in the summer of 2016. The Oklahoma City Thunder had just lost a grueling seven game series to the Golden State Warriors. A series in which they led three games to one. This match-up had all the makings of a future epic rivalry. The upstart Warriors and the “on the cusp” Thunder. And while Durant had a decision to make that offseason, there was no way he would skip town now. Not when the team showed what it could do against this juggernaut. This was KD….the same guy that criticized LeBron James for making superteams…the same guy that lauded guys like Dirk Nowitzki and Kobe Bryant for being loyal to their teams through thick and thin.

But we all know what happened. The Warriors eventually lost to LeBron and the Cleveland Cavaliers in an epic Finals series, that saw the Warriors, themselves, blow a 3-1 lead. And then came the decision. It still sticks in my craw that Durant made that choice. He could have chosen any other team (literally, any other team because they all had a ton of money to spend that offseason). But to choose the team that had just beat you to make them become an almost unbeatable super-juggernaut was unfathomable in the minds of most Thunder fans in relation to the man we thought Durant was.

Continue reading →

NTTB Thunder Rumblings – 23 July 2018

Posted on July 23, 2018 by Alex Roig

Make sure you check out the latest episode of the NTTB Podcast.

Lawrence George (Thunderous Intentions) looks at three things Dennis Schröder brings to the Thunder: “However, the OKC Thunder have taken risks on restoring players reputations (insert Dion Waiters and Enes Kanter) before, thus Schroder certainly fits the mold. He’s had his fair share of off-court problems in Atlanta (clashing with coaching, fellow players and a pending court case) but Schroder holds tremendous value for the Thunder.”

Erik Horne (NewsOK) says Dennis Schröder is the Thunder latest reclamation project: “The Thunder, however, has done its due diligence on Schroder, just like it did with prior players that teams gave up. Those players didn’t come with legal trouble, but trouble all their own.” Continue reading →

Thunder @ Raptors preview (Game 72 of 82)

Posted on March 18, 2018 by Alex Roig

raptors

When: Sunday, 18 March 2018 at 12:00 pm CST
Where: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario (Canada)
TV: FSOK
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 930 AM (Spanish))
Line: Tor -6.0 | O/U – 217

Here we go. That stretch run we all pointed to after the All-Star break. Eleven of the final 12 games against opponents that are currently above .500. The Oklahoma City Thunder took care of business on Friday evening against the Los Angeles Clippers to begin that tough stretch. Now they start the real test. Continue reading →

NTTB Podcast (Episode 22) – Refs, We Have A Problem

Posted on December 30, 2017 by Alex Roig

On Episode 22 of the NTTB podcast,we discuss the following topics:

Weekly Recap – Games vs. Houston, Toronto, and Milwaukee
Referee issues throughout the league
Return of MVP Russ
Sacrificial Melo
What’s going on with Alex Abrines?
NBA News
City Jerseys

Intro/Outro music provided by OSC Productions

Thank you for listening. We will be doing a podcast once a week. If you have any Thunder or NBA related questions, make sure you hit us up on Twitter (@alexroig_NTTB or @Montero_A13).

We are on ITunes under the NTTB Podcast. Make sure you leave us a 5-star review if you can. As always, Thunder Up!

Oklahoma City Thunder at Toronto Raptors preview (Game 5 of 82)

Posted on November 4, 2014 by Alex Roig

When: Tuesday, 04 November 2014 at 6:30 PM CST
Where: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Four games in and the Oklahoma City Thunder sit at a record they haven’t seen since their inaugural season in 2008. That much was to be expected with the rash of injuries the team has faced. What wasn’t expected was the effort with which the team has exhibited. In the first two games of the season, against top flight teams in the Western Conference, the Thunder were in the game well into the 4th quarter. On Saturday, against a Denver Nuggets team that was looking to rebound from a disappointing, injury-plagued season last year, the Thunder executed almost perfectly throughout the game to get their first victory of the season. The return of Reggie Jackson from an ankle injury was supposed to provide the team with the playmaker they had been missing since Russell Westbrook went out early in the 2nd game of the season. Instead, Jackson’s return brought the team back to its iso-ball ways and they were blown out by the Brooklyn Nets.

It’ll be interesting to see how Scott Brooks adjusts to this. On the one hand, you now have a ball-handler that can threaten a defense (Jackson). But on the other hand, your best bet to win with this lineup is to completely muddy up the game by slowing it down and hope that it becomes a defensive battle.

The Thunder and the Toronto Raptors split their two meetings from last season, each winning on the other’s home court. Each game went down to the 4th quarter, with the average margin of victory being 3.5 points.

The Opponent

The Raptors come into the game with a 2-1 record. Last year, they won the Atlantic Divison, and made their first trip to the postseason since the 2007-08 season. They battled their division rival, the Brooklyn Nets, and lost in 7 games. But the spark had been lit and the fan resurgence in Toronto was reminiscent of the Vince Carter days. The team is led by one of the better backcourts in the league, with PG Kyle Lowry and SG DeMar DeRozan. The duo is averaging nearly 42 points and 5 steals a game. The other wing, Terrence Ross, is averaging almost 10 points a game, but has the ability to go off for big numbers, as evidenced by his 51 point explosion last season against the Clippers. Up front, Amir Johnson and Jonas Valanciunas make up one of the more athletic and versatile front courts in the league. Off the bench, the Raptors are a mix of young veterans like Greivis Vasquez, Patrick Patterson, Lou Williams, and James Johnson.

Probable Starting Line-up

Toronto Raptors

PG – Kyle Lowry
SG – Terrence Ross
SF – DeMar DeRozan
PF – Amir Johnson (Game-time decision due to ankle)
C – Jonas Valanciunas

Oklahoma City Thunder

PG – Sebastian Telfair
SG – Reggie Jackson
SF – Perry Jones
PF – Serge Ibaka
C – Steven Adams

3 Keys to the Game

1. Perimeter Depth and Fouls – Lowry and DeRozan are personal foul magnets. You look at them and you might get called for a foul. Between the both of them, they are averaging 21 free attempts per game. That’s on some Durant/Westbrook levels right there. With only 2 guards on the entire roster (Andre Roberson is out with a sprained foot) look for the Raptors’ wings to attack Jackson and Telfair.

2. Shut Down the Lane – The Thunder have been employing an effective zone lately. If there was ever a team to trot that out on, it would be the Raptors. Collectively, they only shoot 42.5% from the field and 25.4% from deep.

3. Ugly it Up – The biggest mistake that can be taken from the Nets’ game was trying to keep up with them. The reason the Thunder’s first 3 games were close was because we slowed the game down and slogged it out. With Jackson back in the fold, we relaxed defensively and tried to run offensively, which back-fired on us.

2014-15 NBA Season Preview: Atlantic Division

Posted on September 15, 2014 by Alex Roig

Atlantic Division Preview

1. Toronto Raptors

Last season: 48-34 (1st in the Atlantic Division, 3rd in the Eastern Conference)

Season ended: Game 7, 1st round of the Eastern Conference playoffs against the Brooklyn Nets

Key additions:

Bruno Caboclo – Draft (No. 20 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft)
Jordan Hamilton – Free agent signing
James Johnson – Free agent signing
Lucas Nogueira – Obtained in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks
Lou Williams – Obtained in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks

Key departures:

John Salmons – Traded to the Atlanta Hawks
Steve Novak – Traded to the Utah Jazz

Season Preview – The Toronto Raptors are in prime position to build off the most successful season in franchise history. The young nucleus of Kyle Lowry, DeMar Derozan, Jonas Valanciunas, Amir Johnson, and Terrence Ross is intact and a year older, with Derozan and Valanciunas having just participated in the FIBA World Cup. The Raptors acquired Lou Williams from the Hawks to serve as their offensive firepower off the bench. And they are also developing two Brazilian big men (Caboclo and Nogueria) who may pay dividends in 2015-16.

2014-15 will be successful if: The Raptors make it to the 2nd round of the Eastern Conference playoffs and have at least 2 All-Stars.

Projected 2014-15 Record: 52-30

2. New York Knicks

Last season: 37-45 (3rd in the Atlantic Division, 9th in the Eastern Conference)

Season ended: Last day of the regular season

Key additions:

Quincy Acy – Obtained in a trade with the Sacramento Kings
Jose Calderon – Obtained in a trade with the Dallas Mavericks
Samuel Dalembert – Obtained in a trade with the Dallas Mavericks
Cleanthony Early – Draft (No. 34 in the 2014 NBA Draft)
Shane Larkin – Obtained in a trade with the Dallas Mavericks
Jason Smith – Free agent signing

Key departures:

Tyson Chandler – Traded to the Dallas Mavericks
Raymond Felton – Traded to the Dallas Mavericks

Season Preview – Two of the biggest additions for the team have been Phil Jackson (president of basketball operations) and Derek Fisher (head coach). With Carmelo Anthony in the fold for the next 4 seasons guaranteed and plenty of cap space coming up in 2015-16, the Knicks are starting to look like they have a plan. Fisher will likely implement the triangle offense, which will play off the scoring abilities of Anthony and JR Smith to maximize the effect of role players like Calderon, Amare Stoudemire, and Tim Hardaway Jr. It will be a bit of a transition year, but in the weak Eastern Conference, the Knicks will have the ability to make the playoffs.

2014-15 will be successful if: The Knicks make the playoffs.

Projected 2014-15 Record: 43-39

3. Brooklyn Nets

Last season: 44-38 (2nd in the Atlantic Division, 6th in the Eastern Conference)

Season ended: Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals against the Miami Heat

Key Additions:

Bojan Bogdanovic – Signed Eurostash
Markel Brown – Draft (No. 44 in the 2014 NBA Draft)
Jarrett Jack – Obtained in a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers
Sergey Karasev – Obtained in a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers

Key departures:

Paul Pierce – Signed with the Washington Wizards
Andray Blatche – Unsigned
Shaun Livingston – Signed with the Golden State Warriors
Marcus Thornton – Traded to the Boston Celtics

Season Preview – The Brooklyn Nets seem to be on the cusp of a rebuild (reload?). Their “all in” move from last offseason (acquiring Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Jason Terry from the Celtics) did not pan out and the Nets now find themselves with only one of the those 3 still on the roster. Brook Lopez (foot) and Deron Williams (both ankles) are once again coming into the season recovering from surgeries, and Garnett seems to know the end of his career is near. The Nets have some good young role players in Mason Plumlee, Bogdanovic, Karasev, and Teague, but their star players are either at the end of their run or are injury-prone.

2014-15 will be successful if: The Nets make the playoffs

Projected 2014-15 Record: 40-42

4. Boston Celtics

Last season: 25-57 (4th in the Atlantic Division, 12th in the Eastern Conference)

Season ended: Last day of the regular season

Key Additions:

Marcus Smart – Draft (No. 6 in the 2014 NBA Draft)
Marcus Thornton – Obtained in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets
Evan Turner – Free agent signing
James Young – Draft (No. 17 in the 2014 NBA Draft)
Tyler Zeller – Obtained in a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers

Key Departures:

Kris Humphries – Signed with the Washington Wizards
Jerryd Bayless – Signed with the Milwaukee Bucks

Season Preview – The Celtics are in the beginnings of a rebuild and would like nothing more than to use this season to get their young core (Smart, Young, Kelly Olynyk, Jared Sullinger, and Avery Bradley) plenty of development and playing time together. Along with that, the team has two valuable expiring contracts in Rajon Rondo and Brandon Bass to help out in their rebuilding process.

2014-15 will be successful if: The young players show progression and the Celtics end up with a Top 7 pick.

Projected 2014-15 Record: 23-59

5. Philadelphia 76ers

Last season: 19-63 (5th in the Atlantic Division, 14th in the Eastern Conference)

Season ended: Last day of the regular season

Key Additions:

Joel Embiid – Draft (No. 3 in the 2014 NBA Draft)
Dario Saric – Draft (No. 12 in the 2014 NBA Draft)
Jerami Grant – Draft (No. 39 in the 2014 NBA Draft)
Luc Richard Mbah a Moute – Obtained in a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves
KJ McDaniels – Draft (No. 32 in the 2014 NBA Draft)
Alexy Shved – Obtained in a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves

Key Departures:

Thaddeus Young – Traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves

Season Preview – I’ve never seen a more obvious tank job in my life. The entire being of the 76ers at this point is to collect draft picks and young players at whatever cost. That’s not necessarily a bad plan, but everyone else who has done has at least attempted to look like they were trying. They drafted 2 players in the first round in the last draft that likely will not play for the organization this season (Embiid and Saric). This will be Nerlens Noel’s rookie season and last season’s Rookie of the Year, Michael Carter-Williams, is coming off off-season shoulder surgery. The team traded its best veteran in Thad Young and heads into the season as one of the youngest teams in the league.

2014-15 will be successful if: The 76ers end up with a Top 3 pick and their young players continue to develop.

Projected 2014-15 Record: 12-70

Scoreboard Watching (2014 edition)

Posted on April 3, 2014 by Alex Roig

If you are a fan of a team, you’re always aware of your team’s games. But, sometimes, if you are wholly invested in one team, you tend to miss what out on what is going on around the rest of the league. Last season, I wrote a similar article concerning the other teams Thunder fans should be looking out for as that season closed (namely the San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors). In a vacuum, a fan should only be worried about their team. But, in reality, with playoff positioning and/or draft positioning at stake, watching how other teams perform at the end of the season can add some drama to a point in the season where drama is sometimes lacking. This season, there are 5 teams Thunder fans needs to be paying attention to than can affect their near future.

1. San Antonio Spurs

Why it matters: The No. 1 seed in the Western Conference (and in the league) is at stake.
Team’s outlook: Currently 59-16 (1st in West), with 4 road games and 3 home games remaining.

This is very reminiscent to what happened last season. This time though, it seems like the Spurs are far enough ahead to not have to worry about the Thunder chasing down the No. 1 seed from behind. The Spurs are currently on a roll, coming into the Thunder game having won 19 in a row, and hold a 4 game lead over the Thunder. With their penchant to rest starters late in the season, the Thunder still have a slight chance to catch the Spurs. But it seems like a foregone conclusion that the Spurs will head into the playoffs with the No. 1 seed in the West. One thing to remember is that if San Antonio does stumble, the Thunder own the tie-breaker over them.

2. Dallas Mavericks

Why it matters: The Thunder own the Mavericks’ first round pick if it is outside the Top 20.
Team’s outlook: Currently 44-31, (7th in the West) with 5 road games and 2 home games remaining

The Thunder got this draft pick in the Harden deal from Houston. There are two factions when it comes to this pick. Those that want the pick this season (slotted to be in the 21-23 range) and those that want the pick to go all the way until 2018, when it becomes unprotected. It will all depend on if Dallas make the playoffs or not. If they make the playoffs, they’ll be one of the top 10 teams in the league, thus garnering a pick in the 21-30 range, which transfers over to the Thunder. If they don’t make the playoffs, the Mavericks will pick in the lottery and will keep the pick.

The Mavericks are battling with the Memphis Grizzlies and the Phoenix Suns for the last two seeds in the Western Conference playoff race. Of the remaining games between the 3 teams, the Mavericks face the harder road with their opponents having a .525 winning percentage combined. But the road will not be easy for either one of the 3 teams because, NEWSFLASH!, they all play in the Western Conference. That being said, the Mavericks had their opportunity to put some distance between themselves and the other two teams, but flubbed an 8 game home stand to the tune of going 4-4. Luckily, all three teams play each other in the final week of the season.

I’m torn as to what I want to do with this pick. Part of me thinks that Thunder GM Sam Presti, with two draft picks late in the first round, could package those to move up a couple slots and get a shooter like Nik Stauskas of Michigan. But part of me also wants to see what happens if this pick actually reaches 2018 unprotected. Unless Dirk Nowitzki goes on Tim Duncan’s offseason training program, I see his effectiveness, and that of the Mavs, steadily going down in these next couple of seasons. And hopefully, they completely bottom out in the 2017-18 season.

3 and 4. Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat

Why it matters: The only teams that matter in the Eastern Conference
Teams’ Outlooks – With a virtual tie for the Eastern Conference top spot, these two teams meet one last time on April 11th. Indiana currently leads the season series 2-1.

With a 2.5 game lead over these two teams in the league standings, the Thunder are in control to maintain home court advantage against any of the East’s top teams if they meet in the NBA Finals. The major issue here is whether the Pacers will give Miami a run for their money and make the Eastern Conference Finals somewhat competitive. While Miami has been surging in the last 10 games, going 7-3, the Pacers have been doing the exact opposite, going 7-10 in their last 17 games.

The jump from being a good team to becoming an elite team is the hardest jump to make in the NBA. Not only do you have to start positioning your role players correctly, but your star players have to start taking that next step. For Indiana, a combination of questionable in-season moves and lack of player progression has slightly slowed that progression from good team to elite team. The mid-season trade that sent Danny Granger to the Philadelphia 76ers for Evan Turner and Lavoy Allen has yet to bear fruit. And the mid-season signing of Andrew Bynum can probably be deemed a failure due to a reoccurrence of knee issues for the center. In addition, Paul George and Roy Hibbert have failed to significantly improve from where they were in the beginning of the season. With this recent slide, rumors of infighting and selfishness have begun to sneak into the vernacular that describes the Pacers. The mental aspect of making the jump from a good team to an elite team is the hardest thing for a young team to grasp, and its currently showing with these Pacers.

The reason this matters to the Thunder is because the Western Conference playoffs are going to be a gauntlet. The first round match-ups will be formidable and the series will only get tougher from there. If Miami is able to skip through the East playoffs easily, and get some rest in the process, that could spell trouble for the team that comes out of the West, regardless of who it is.

5. New York Knicks

Why it matters: The Denver Nuggets own the Knicks’ pick for this draft
Team’s Outlook – Currently 33-43 (8th in the East), with 3 road and 3 home games remaining.

Looking towards the future at division rivals, the team that has the best chance of getting better quickly is the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets suffered a myriad of injuries this season that prevented them from ever making a run at the playoffs. But with many of those players coming back next season and a potential lottery pick, the Nuggets are in position to get back to their winning ways. If the Knicks make the playoffs, their pick moves down to the No. 15 slot. But if the Knicks miss the playoffs, Denver will be slotted to pick in the 7-9 range, while also having the potential of getting a top 3 pick.

Seeding doesn’t seem to affect the Thunder that much. They know they can beat the Spurs in San Antonio, if necessary. Their main goals to finish this season are to stay ahead of the LA Clippers, Miami Heat, and Indiana Pacers, and to get/remain healthy. As the season rolls to a close, it’ll be interesting to keep a vested interest in these 5 teams, as their outcomes all have the potential of affecting the Thunder in the near future.