For the OKC Thunder, the 2018-2019 season is arguably their best shot to legitimately contend for a Finals berth in the Western Conference. Their primary competition last year–namely the Houston Rockets–lost key role players and is poised for a big step back in the standings.
The conference’s top dog is the Golden State Warriors added yet another All-NBA big man in DeMarcus Cousins this summer, but they clearly had emotional and motivational problems last year that might re-surface again this season.
Outside of a few young upstarts in the middle of the conference in the Utah Jazz and the Denver Nuggets, there aren’t many teams better equipped to make their way up the conference ladder.