where will okc finish up in the west.

[SOD 21]

Oklahoma City has zero chance of home-court advantage in any round of the playoffs this year due to all these injuries. No chance whatsoever.

Given their current winning percentage and when their stars will return, this team will likely be 10 or 12 games below .500 before they return. They will still likely get into the playoffs as one scary seventh or eighth seed, which certainly no one will want to play in the first round, but them making the playoffs is not even a given.

All it would take for them not to make the playoffs is Russell Westbrook or Kevin Durant having any type of additional setback with injuries. There will be very little margin for error.

[Genaro]

Let's say WB and KD come back at the first week of December against the Pelicans.
There 5 games to the Thunder until there so the worst case scenario is 3-14 (witch I don't believe will be the case, they'll probably win 2 games)
So now the Thunder would have 65 games left. Based on last year standings:
If they go 46-19 they get a 8th seed
If they go 52-13 they get a 4th seed

So they can manage to get HCA in the first round but the margin of error is extremely thin I wouldn't bet on it. I would say they get the 6th seed.

[Thunder_Up]

I think its much more likely that WB comes back and Durant is still on the bench for sometime. IIRC they made it clear that they were going to sit Durant until he is fully healed to avoid risking getting the foot re-injured. With that I'd say the best we could expect is a 7 seed but with a decent chance of missing the playoffs altogether. All depends on how quickly/if our young guys can turn into consistent players.

[Pointguard]

Top 5
Memphis
Golden State
SA
Dallas
Houston

Are not going to be caught.

Portland and Clippers are going to be very hard catches. The Clippers are forever a mystery. Portland lost 28 games last year... . They will likely have been spotted about 8 games in the loss column before OKC is back to full health. Too much to overcome.

The last spot is going to be between

OKC, Pheonix,

with an eye on which new young team can hold it together between Sacramento and New Orleans but I doubt either one will hold it down.

Pheonix just missed the playoffs last year with 34 loses. Dallas was the 8 seed with 33 loses.

With improved teams 35 loses will likely get you the 8th seed. A theoretical goal would be 21 loses tops by the all star break if you know you are going to win like a top three team, which is what OKC will be. March and April are the easiest part of their schedule. They will make it as the 8th seed. But the pressure of having to win every game for the last three months of the regular season and the first two months and the post season will have to be draining. Especially without home court throughout the post season. But I think its going to be real exciting.

[russwest0]

We are all about to witness the greatest 8th seed in professional sports history.

[ArbitraryWater]

Top 5
Memphis
Golden State
SA
Dallas
Houston

Are not going to be caught.

Portland and Clippers are going to be very hard catches. The Clippers are forever a mystery. Portland lost 28 games last year... . They will likely have been spotted about 8 games in the loss column before OKC is back to full health. Too much to overcome.

The last spot is going to be between

OKC, Pheonix,

with an eye on which new young team can hold it together between Sacramento and New Orleans but I doubt either one will hold it down.

Pheonix just missed the playoffs last year with 34 loses. Dallas was the 8 seed with 33 loses.

With improved teams 35 loses will likely get you the 8th seed. A theoretical goal would be 21 loses tops by the all star break if you know you are going to win like a top three team, which is what OKC will be. March and April are the easiest part of their schedule. They will make it as the 8th seed. But the pressure of having to win every game for the last three months of the regular season and the first two months and the post season will have to be draining. Especially without home court throughout the post season. But I think its going to be real exciting.

P.O.P MOMMA I LUV YA.

[Marchesk]

I swear, if some weak ass East team like Atlanta or Knicks makes it in on 37 wins, and OKC missed out with 50, the league is going to have to do something about the playoff format.

[3peated]

i hope they get 8th seed and just destroy the bracket