Go back to preseason and look for any analyst or media pundit who picked the OKC Thunder to be a playoff contender this season.
I’ll save you the effort and tell you there aren’t many. Former OKC Thunder big man Kendrick Perkins was among the few (possibly only one) buying this season wasn’t going to be a tank effort.
Some (like Thunderous Intentions writing team) thought there was a chance the club would vie among the chase pack to capture a lower seed on the ladder. Through the early part of the season, the Thunder were on target to be lottery bound.