Analyzing the OKC Thunder Ceiling After 25 Games

It's not a fluke or a hot stretch anymore. We're now a fourth of the way through the NBA season and Oklahoma City is still near the top of the standings and topping many statistical categories. This team looks legit, and they have the big wins to prove it, too.

Oklahoma City is 3-1 against the Warriors, with impressive conferences wins on the road against Denver and Dallas, and a blowout home win against the Lakers. At the 25-game mark, the Thunder ranks second in the Western Conference with a record of 17-8.

Similar to last season, the Thunder's ceiling seems to be rising with each passing game. Last year, there was virtually no chance that Oklahoma City would play postseason basketball. As the season wore on, though, the Thunder made a push. The team traded for a contributor in Dario Saric and played consistent lineups through the end of the season, showcasing management's will to win.

Obviously, a play-in berth elevated expectations heading into this season, and with the impressive start, they seem to still be on the rise. The team is a focal point in every trade conversation and many insiders are trying to predict the Thunder's next move.

This begs the question, what is Oklahoma City's true ceiling this season? It obviously is fluent, and looks higher than it did in October, but just how high is it?

Despite knocking off the Nuggets and a handful of other championship hopefuls, it still feels like an NBA Finals run is unrealistic. The Thunder ranks near the top in net rating and has an elite offense and defense, but experience and star power ramps up in a big way during the playoffs.

Oklahoma City is absolutely capable of winning a playoff series, however, and that should be the goal at this point. When the team is on track to win 50 games and potentially secure a top-four seed, winning a playoff series should be the expectation.

For the Thunder, winning a playoff series feels like the next step in the team's evolution, too. Once the first playoff series is out of the way, who knows? The team could get hot and surprise us all, but a playoff series victory sets the Thunder up to be a contender for the next five years and beyond.

It'll effectively open up the championship window.

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