Thunder are 'Head and Shoulders' Above West

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been tabbed as tier 1 in the Western Conference by the Hoop Collective Podcast, who will they be duking it out with?

Apr 10, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; (L-R) Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (11) and forward Jaylin Williams (6) and guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) and forward Jalen Williams (8) and forward Chet Holmgren (7) watch their team play against the San Antonio Spurs during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

As we inch closer to the start of the 2024-25 NBA season, the Oklahoma City Thunder find themselves as a hot topic in the midst of season previews. Many believe the OKC Thunder - who rifled off 57 wins a year ago en route to their first playoff series win since 2016 and made massive improvements this season - are the favorites in the Western Conference.

In the first wave of preview content, ESPN's Hoop Collective Podcast placed the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first tier out West, which is now conventional wisdom. However, ESPN scribe Tim Bontemps went a step further than his co-hosts Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon.

"All of us can agree, Oklahoma City Thunder as the favorites to win the West," Windhorst said before Bontemps jumped in and said, "I would put [the Thunder], in a tier by themselves."

As his co-hosts were shocked, the ESPN analyst laid out a compelling case for Oklahoma City to be all alone on an island despite the difficult conference.

"I would say in general they are seen as the clear and pretty decisive favorites to get out of the Conference. Last year, there was a top tier for the course of the season of three teams the Thunder, Nuggets and Timberwolves," Bontemps explained "Minnesota lost some key pieces this Summer, Denver we have talked a lot about the key pieces they have lost, the questions about Jamal Murray. The Thunder add [Alex] Caruso for Josh Giddey, add Isaiah Hartenstein to this roster. Their young guys are all going to get better, so I think there is a pretty significant gap between the Thunder right now and the other teams behind them."

Bontemps says the Oklahoma City Thunder are "head and shoulders," above the rest of the Western Conference.

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