The Western Conference feels like a gauntlet in the NBA this season. The Boston Celtics feel like the only true contender out of the Eastern Conference this season as the overwhelming favorite to make the finals out of the group of teams on that side of the bracket.
In the West, any of the top five seeds feel like true threats to both win the conference and the championship. The Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves have each taken care of business as a top three seed, with No. 4-seeded LA Clippers tied with No. 5-seeded Dallas Mavericks 2-2 in their best-of-seven series.
How far can the Thunder truly go? They've got quite a tough path to get to the finals. They now get to face the winner of the Clippers and Mavericks, though they should have a leg up on their opponent. Both the Timberwolves and Nuggets completed their respective series, giving them a similar amount of rest heading into the second round. The Thunder get another week off, which comes after sweeping the New Orleans Pelicans after an original week off as they waited for the Play-In Tournament to conclude.
The Thunder is going to have fresh legs, while the winner of the Clippers and Mavericks series could quite literally be limping into the second round, with Kawhi Leonard and Luka Doncic both dealing with lower body injuries.
If the Thunder is playing a team they've got a rest and health advantage over, they could win another series handily, though it's unknown how they will bounce back from a potential loss. Still, another short series could be huge if they can win and head to the Western Conference Finals. Having two incredible teams like the Nuggets and Timberwolves play each other in the second round is also huge, as they'll rough each other up and wear each other down in a seven-game series.
The Thunder's path could be among the easier ones if all falls in their favor. Of course, expecting an NBA Finals berth in their first bit of action in the playoffs since 2020 is too much, though, at this point, wouldn't come as a shock.
Mark Daigneault and the Thunder will preach taking things day by day, but looking from a holistic point of view, the finals aren't that far out of reach for Oklahoma City, though it will be a tough journey and battle.
There is no limit to what this team can accomplish, especially given the potential path to getting there. The toughest battle could be the Nuggets, fresh off a championship and hoisting plenty of playoff experience.
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