OKC Thunder Return Soon, This Time with Expectations
On Wednesday, the Oklahoma City Thunder are officially back. And they’re bringing expectations for the first time in awhile.
For the first time since 2019 — the days of Paul George and Russell Westbrook — the team is expected to win games. And after a 16-win boost last season and the addition of several key pieces, the hype is warranted.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the sun that the team orbits. Jalen Williams an emerging two-way star. Josh Giddey a gluey, diamond-tier passer with the ability to star offensively on any given night. And finally Chet Holmgren, the potential 7-foot catalyst with the ability to plug the holes of the ship’s entirety.
And that’s not counting the additions of tenth overall selection Cason Wallace, former EuroLeague MVP and two-time champion Vasilije Micic, as well as the internal development of other younger players.
All that and more has Oklahoma City in good favor with experts, odds makers, peers and more.
The team’s current win total sits at 44.5, with scattered experts picking them to finish as a fifth seed or even higher.
But it’s not all sunshines and rainbows with the hopes of a bright season. People, and even team’s themselves, can set the bar high. And failing to meet certain goals, or even falling well short of them, can destroy months or even years of momentum.
Luckily for Oklahoma City, the team — made up of early twenty somethings still finding their groove in the league — doesn't seem to be sweating it.
The Thunder open with the Bulls at 7 p.m. tomorrow at United Center in Chicago.
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