The Thunder enter the 2024-25 season as the clear favorite to win the West. No other team has an outright win projection within four games and has +340 odds to win the conference, with Denver in second place at +450. It seems crazy to value such a young team so highly when the Western Conference is loaded with experience, but as the Mavericks know well, this is a team worthy of praise. After jumping from “young and fun” to “contender” last season, the Thunder are coming back with a strengthened roster, playoff experience and a hunger to take what they couldn’t a year ago.

Oklahoma City Thunder (Over/Under 56.5 Wins)

Key additions: Isaiah Hartenstein, Alex Caruso

Key Losses – Josh Giddey

The top team in both conferences rarely improves their roster without sacrificing something. The final example that comes to mind is the 73-9 Warriors’ addition of Kevin Durant. It’s not that extreme, but the Thunder adding two versatile pieces while only losing Josh Giddey (who wasn’t even on the court in the fourth quarter at season’s end) is quite an accomplishment. Much like Golden State, however, the Thunder’s 2024 felt like the Warriors’ 2014: a good playoff performance, with their youth implying that the best is yet to come.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a superstar and has a good chance of winning his first MVP. He is the undisputed leader of this team, but the roster is deep. Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren are coming off an excellent second year (yes, technically it was Holmgren’s second year as a pro) and both will likely make the jump to the All-Star level regardless of whether they make the team in February or not. Isaiah Joe and Cason Wallace are intriguing young players to bring off the bench and both looked promising last season. Oklahoma City is loaded with young talent and veteran additions Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso bolster their experience and defense to add insult to injury for the rest of the league.

The Thunder are the perfect team for the regular season. They have enough shots to allow their defense to take control most nights and will win 5-10 games simply by tiring out the opponent. If they can stay healthy, which they did last season, they will be a huge success. More than 60 wins is realistic for this team and the West should be the loser.

PREDICTION – Over 56.5 wins