Where Does OKC Sit At The Break Compared To Last Year's Championship Team?

The Oklahoma City Thunder are in the midst of their midseason break and are enjoying much-deserved time off before they hit the court once again on Friday.

The OKC squad is sitting in the top spot of the West and has control of its own future. Oklahoma City might be in a position to make another run at a title, but how does this year’s squad currently match up with last year’s team, which would eventually prove they had what it took to win a ring?

The two teams' records match up pretty similarly. This year’s Thunder is currently 42-14 and has 26 games remaining when NBA play resumes. Last year’s squad had a slightly better record, as they were 44-10 at the break. The two teams seemed to have performed at around the same level through the first portion of the season, but the level of competition seems to differ quite a bit.

Last season, OKC was ahead of the second-place Memphis Grizzlies by eight games going into the break. This eight-game lead, combined with the Thunder only losing four games the rest of the season, propelled Oklahoma City to first place in the conference once the playoffs rolled around.

This season’s team doesn’t have quite as much of a cushion. This year’s Thunder squad is only leading the West by three games, as the San Antonio Spurs are hot on OKC’s trail. The West as a whole is a tighter race this year, with the sixth-seeded Timberwolves trailing the Thunder by eight games, just as the second-place team last year was.

The ultimate goal is an NBA Championship and not just the one seed in the playoffs. However, this year’s Thunder team will have more pressure in the back half of the season to make sure they don’t lose their home-court advantage when the postseason rolls around.

One thing this year’s team hopes to get back on track compared to last season is the injuries. OKC has struggled this year with key players missing games, and at some points, it has cost the Thunder dearly.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed a total of six games during the entirety of last season. However, the Thunder star has already missed seven games during the first portion of this season. Oklahoma City looks to keep its key players healthy during the second half of the season, so when the playoffs roll around, the Thunder are at full force.

OKC might not be playing the exact same way as last season, but that might not be a bad thing. With every new year comes new challenges and obstacles in the path of an NBA Championship. Just because the two Thunder teams aren’t identical doesn’t mean their end results won’t be.