Who Should the OKC Thunder Hope to Play in Round 1? Ranking the Play-In Teams

The Oklahoma City Thunder await the NBA Play-In Tournament to shake out to decide their first-round matchup, who should the Thunder want to see in Bricktown on Sunday?

Mar 4, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) controls the / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder (57-25) were able to nab the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference during the final week of the regular season in an extremely competitive race. This leads to the Thunder waiting for the NBA Play-In tournament to wrap up before learning their first-round fate.

Oklahoma City will see four possible opponents: The Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors. With all four options still currently on the table before it gets dwindled down to two Tuesday night, it is time to rank who the Thunder should want to play in the first round.

With Game 1 set for April 21 in the Paycom Center, working from the fourth (best case scenario) to the first (worst case scenario). While Oklahoma City should be favored against any of these matchups, there are varying degrees of difficulties involved with each matchup.

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Apr 9, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) drives / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

Sacramento Kings (46-36)

The Sacramento Kings are the team the Thunder should want to see the most. After a disastrous post-All-Star Break stretch that features a 15-13 record, countless blown leads, injuries piling up and a dip offensively.

In the regular season, the Thunder split the four-game season series with the Kings which featured a win in dramatic fashion erasing a 20-point deficit and a blowout victory in early Feb. Back in Nov. the Kings earned a dominating victory in Sacramento over the Thunder and squeaked one out in the Golden 1 Center.

While Domantas Sabonis against Chet Holmgren in a seven-game series would be intriguing, the Kings are just too warn down to keep pace with the Thunder.

This series might not get the National love it deserves, the home crowd environments would be unmatched between two lively fanbases hungry for postseason success.

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Dec 8, 2023; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7), and / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

Golden State Warriors (46-36)

Yes, the big bad Warriors are one of the best options for this young Thunder team. These are not your uncle's Warriors. While it would give Thunder fans PTSD to waltz into the Bay area for a playoff series, this young Oklahoma City squad is too naive to be fearful of an over-the-hill Warriors team as evident by Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander poking the bear throughout the regular season.

From Oklahoma City already proven to be able to win in Golden State, come away with two overtime victories, blow out a shorthanded Warriors squad with their only loss to Golden State coming in controversial fashion without Gilgeous-Alexander in the lineup.

There is not a ton to be fearful of besides Steph Curry on the other side. While Curry is worth respect as a player who can erupt for 50 points in an elimination game, his supporting cast has proven to be lackluster.

No one should predict a sweep against the former dynasty, but of the available options this is one the Thunder should welcome.

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Jan 26, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey (3) steals the / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

New Orleans Pelicans (49-33)

Sometimes, a team just has your number, and the Oklahoma City Thunder seem to just have the Pelicans' digits.

For all the inexperience talk that grows louder by the second around this OKC Thunder team, where is the one place this young Thunder team has won in the Postseason? Down in New Orleans.

Against the Pelicans, Josh Giddey has consistently risen to the occasion and has been able to play Jonas Valanciunas off the floor in big games negating the Pels size advantage over Oklahoma City.

The Thunder turn in a 2-1 record against the Pelicans with that lone loss featuring a blown 22-point lead back in Nov.

While Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram (Should he return healthy) are going to force the Thunder to lose sleep over, and New Orleans does roster the best defender in the NBA when it comes to guarding Gilgeous-Alexander (Herb Jones), this matchup is not a doomsday scenario for the Thunder.

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Mar 4, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) controls the / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Lakers (47-35)

It is no surprise the Los Angeles Lakers are the worst possible first-round matchup for Oklahoma City, however, that does not mean to go overboard.

Just because the Purple and Gold present the biggest threat doesn't mean you should hit the red panic button as Bill Simmons did proclaiming the Thunder "can not" beat the Lakers.

Oklahoma City absolutely can beat the Lakers, in fact, it would even be likely even if it takes going the distance in a seven-game set. Though, the Lakers will make you work for it, both because of their headlines in LeBron James and Anthony Davis and their supporting cast.

Sure the LaLa Land ballers have been streaky winding up in the play-in tournament, but against this Thunder team all of the Lakers' strengths are heightened.

Possessing the size to force Gilgeous-Alexander to play in a crowd offensively and recover to shooters off the double-team, an elite rim protecting in Anthony Davis waiting for the Thunder in their best area and the best player in the world pioneering the offense. Not to mention a likely friendly whistle with two players earning superstar reputation calls compared to the Thunder's one.

The storylines would write themselves. Oklahoma City was the last stop for Kobe Bryant's postseason career, Thunder rising star Jalen Williams grew up a Lakers fan, and the rooted history of the 2010 and 2012 Oklahoma City teams laying the foundation for a decade of success with early matchups against the Lakers.

The Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook era started their postseason careers against the Lakers in a first-round exit back in 2010 to the eventual champions it would be something out of a movie for the Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams, Holmgren era to start with the same opponent.

With a top-five offense and defense and consistently proving they are one of the best in the NBA through the course of an 82 game season, the Thunder should be viewed as the favorites no matter their round 1 counterparts. Though, admittedly, some matchups are better than others.

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