Could the OKC Thunder "Overdeliver" This Upcoming Season?

Predicting team and player success for the next season is one of the things those in the media like to do during the NBA off-season.

One of the teams that loves to defy expectations is the Oklahoma City Thunder.

After finishing 40-42 and making a play-in appearance last season, the Thunder are now back into playoff contention mode after a short absence from it. They were one of the most surprising teams to most NBA fans last season, and they could be once again.

On The Ringer's "The Mismatch" podcast, Kevin O'Connor named the Thunder as his pick for a team that could overdeliver this season.

While O'Connor recognizes that the Thunder are a very exciting and hyped up young team, he believes that they could still out perform their expectations.

He attributes this possibility to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's greatness, Chet Holmgren's debut and Josh Giddey's potential to "get even better with all of the good supporting players they have on that team".

The list goes on and on for the good supporting players on this Thunder roster, from Jalen Williams to Luguentz Dort and Vasijile Micić: the highly accomplished veteran from the EuroLeague who will add scoring and leadership to the Thunder.

O'Connor also had high praise for coach Mark Daigneault, calling him "one of the best coaches in all of basketball." The young head coach recently was signed to a multi-year contract extension by the Thunder after a massively improved season and plenty of support from fans and players.

The Thunder absolutely have a chance to overdeliver this season. Gilgeous-Alexander should once again be one of the best players in the NBA, and players like Giddey and Jalen Williams should see a jump in their game with another year under their belts.

All signs point to Chet Holmgren having a huge impact on the team in his rookie year, anchoring their interior defense while adding more shot-creation and scoring to the offense. The aforementioned Micić and the former Kentucky guard Cason Wallace should also become important pieces for OKC in their rookie seasons.

Oklahoma City's potential this season ultimately comes down to health, which was a major issue last season. If everyone can stay on the court, they can win a lot of games. But if injuries go the same way, it may be another similar season for the Thunder.

As past Thunder teams have shown however, you can never count them out.

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