The Oklahoma City Thunder are coming off their first championship in franchise history. They have lost no one and added some rookie talent with their arsenal of current and future draft picks. They are a unicorn; no team in the modern NBA has won a championship with two of their top three scorers on their rookie contracts. It is unprecedented how good and young the Thunder are, and especially important in the current CBA.
The league is going to be very bleak next season. The Eastern Conference is as hurt
and weak as it has been, and the West outside of Oklahoma City is a complete toss-up. Returning everyone from the championship team a season ago, the Thunder have the chance to go back-to-back with little resistance. Denver played them as close as anyone in the playoffs, so maybe they can get over the hump with their retooled roster. But as of now, it is the Thunder’s championship to lose.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Over/Under 62.5 Wins (-110/-110)
Last Season: 68-14
Additions: Nikola Topic, Thomas Sorber
Losses: N/A
At nearly 2/1, they are the prohibitive favorites to repeat as champions. The Nuggets, as mentioned earlier, are the next likeliest team out west, but sit far behind at 9/1. Oklahoma City is the measuring stick. Given proper health (which is never guaranteed), they should run through the league again in the regular season. Even if they miss time from key guys, they have the depth to deal with it in spurts. Chet Holmgren missed 49 games a season ago, and they still won nearly 70 games! This will be another frustrating season for any team that has to play Oklahoma City, and it is hard to see how they do not continue their domination.
