Biggest Threats to Thunder's Play-In Chances

Oklahoma City’s recent slide has shaken up the Western conference playoff race. The Thunder now sits at No. 13, while Minnesota and New Orleans currently occupy the last two play-in spots. Heading into the All Star break, OKC was locked into the 10th spot, but with three straight losses, the team is looking to find answers quickly. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's return to the floor should certainly help, but day-to-day injuries can be tricky down the stretch.

The Trail Blazers and Lakers, teams that both shook up the roster with trades at the deadline, have leapfrogged the Thunder this week. By no means is Oklahoma City statistically out of the race, though.

Yes, Oklahoma City is No. 13 as it stands, but with the parity in the Western conference, the team is still in striking distance. Dallas, the current sixth seed, has a 32-30 record and is just three games ahead of the Thunder. Oklahoma City is three games back in the loss column from the fourth seeded Phoenix Suns. A random winning streak would shake up everything, while the current skid extending any longer could position the team for the draft.

At this point, the play-in could go plenty of different directions. Like Oklahoma City, both Minnesota and New Orleans are 4-6 in their last 10 games. The Pelicans have been heavily impacted by the loss of Zion Williamson, and his absence could make things interesting for the team’s playoff push. Willie Green’s team was near the top of the conference with a healthy lineup, making the fall to play-in contention even more surprising.

The Lakers, who just jumped the Thunder, seemed to be finding a post-trade deadline groove with Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt. After brutal injury news to LeBron James, though, Los Angeles might be without its star for an extended period of time. The Lakers could once again begin to slide.

Adding to the biggest play-in threats for Oklahoma City, the Jazz are expected to make a slide after dealing key players at the trade deadline. They’ve held steady in Utah though, squeaking out a few more wins.

Assuming Steph Curry is returning to action sooner rather than later, and the duo of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic is able to put the pieces together in Dallas, both the Warriors and Mavericks should be safe. For the Thunder, the team will need to hold off the Lakers, Pelicans, Blazers and Timberwolves to secure a spot in the play-in.

The good news for the Thunder? Its next seven games are against Western conference foes, many of who are battling for the play-in. Games against the Lakers, Jazz and Warriors will be critical throughout the week.

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