4. OKC Thunder; 17-11
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is yet another young high profile player that has injected new life to the OKC Thunder. Securing an All-Star nod as well, Gilgeous-Alexander is leading this young Thunder team to new heights. They are the second best team in the West and the third best team overall across both conferences.
OKC has a 23-6 home record compared to their 17-11 road record, which shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise considering their overall experience. They are 10-4 in division games and 24-13 in Conference games. With almost the entire Thunder roster having little to no playoff experience, finding themselves as a top road team will help come postseason, similar to the Minnesota Timberwolves situation.
The trade deadline acquisition of Gordon Hayward should help combat the inexperience of the Thunder. Hayward has several deep playoff runs under his belt, most notably with the Boston Celtics. OKC is yet another team that the Miami Heat fell to in a tight game down the stretch in what was an impressive Thunder victory.