Is it NBA Finals or Bust for the OKC Thunder in 2025?

Aside from the Cleveland Cavaliers, there hasn't been a team more dominant throughout the 2024-25 regular season to this point than the Oklahoma City Thunder.

A 35-7 record, seven-game lead in first place of the Western Conference and the MVP favorite in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at the helm — the Thunder has simply cruised in its first half of games. This has all been done mostly without Chet Holmgren since the injury he sustained in November, adding to the impressive nature even more.

Right now, Oklahoma City is quite easily the favorite to come out of the West. There are contenders in the Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies and Denver Nuggets — while the Dallas Mavericks always give it trouble — but no team has shown the elite levels of defense and offensive personnel.

As long as the Thunder keeps up this pace to the playoffs, along with no sustaining any added injuries to its stars, it being the favorite doesn't seem like it's ever going to change. So when the time comes for the playoffs, the expectation is going to be an NBA Finals trip at the minimum.

Oklahoma City already reached the semifinals against Dallas last season, but fell to 4-2 after dropping the final two games. Now, with a stronger roster that's gained the experience of what the playoffs are like, finishing any lower or the same will be a disappointment for many.

The Western Conference Finals is a starting point to aim for, considering the Thunder hasn't reached it since 2016 with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. That in it's own right would be a significant achievement for the franchise, but unless some of the teams below it make strong additions to their roster, Oklahoma City should come out on top against anyone.

That leaves a Cavaliers or Boston Celtics as the most likely Finals matchup — though the Milwaukee Bucks would be a threat after the In-Season Tournament — in which things get a little more reasonable for the Thunder to lose. The Finals are a completely different stage, and the best of the Eastern Conference would be more than capable winners.

It took some rebuilding years to get to this point again, but Oklahoma City is officially in a "win-now" mode. It may be a young roster still, but the franchise's first championship is within reasonable reach.

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