ESPN's Tim Bontemps Believes OKC Thunder Headline Talented Western Conference

Even after losing in the second round of the playoffs last year, one of ESPN's top NBA insiders believes Oklahoma City is the best team in the Western Conference.

May 19, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) reacts during the third quarter of game seven of the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs against the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

After a solid performance in the 2023-24 season, many NBA observers believe the Oklahoma City Thunder will be even better in 2024-25.

The team made two big additions over the offseason, signing Isaiah Hartenstein and trading Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso, which should make Mark Daigneault's bunch even more formidable coming off of a 57-win season.

Following the team's additions, many NBA media members have made ambitious predictions for OKC, with some claiming that the team could have a historically good defense while others project the group to easily surpass 60 wins.

ESPN's Tim Bontemps also made a bold statement about the Thunder's upcoming season on a recent podcast episode with fellow NBA insiders Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon.

“I think the gap between the Thunder and the top of the West is bigger than the gap between Boston and the rest of the East,” Bontemps said. “If you’re betting on one team to have the best record, or a super high finish in this thing, I’m going to take the Thunder and the improvements they made getting Isaiah Hartenstein, getting Alex Caruso.” 

While Giddey is a decent player, his style didn't fit well in Daigneault's system, and replacing the young Australian guard with Caruso should be an upgrade for OKC on offense and defense.

Additionally, Oklahoma City lacked size on the interior and struggled to rebound against bigger teams at times last season, but likely resolved this issue by adding Hartenstein, who is listed at 7-feet tall and 250 pounds.

After winning 57 games and addressing the team's two bigges weaknesses over the offseason, the Thunder should have another remarkable regular season performance. With limited playoff experience from most of the roster, however, Daigneault and company still need to prove they can perform at the same level during the postseason.

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