Possible First Round Opponents

We are about midway through season and the conference standings are beginning to fall into place. Though I am almost positive the standings will change, we still have a pretty good idea of possible first round opponents for the Thunder. For the sake of conversation, let us assume that the Thunder will be a number 1 seed out of the west, and let's take a closer look at possible teams that could fall into the 8th spot in the west. 

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks are currently tied for 10th in the Western Conference with a record of 19-25. They are an all too familiar team for the Thunder in the playoffs. We all remember two years ago when the Thunder were absolutely man-handled by the Mavericks, who eventually went on to win the NBA Finals. Last year, the tables turned a bit, and the Thunder were able to get payback by sweeping the Mavericks in four games.

The Mavericks certainly is not a team to be overlooked. Any team that has a player named Dirk Nowitzki on their team has a good shot at making a deep run into the playoffs. They certainly are not the same team they were two years ago when they won an NBA title, with the absence of Tyson Chandler, Jason Terry and Jason Kidd. A Thunder-Mavericks rivalry would be a pretty entertaining first-round to say the least, despite the recent lopsided series advantage the Thunder hold against the Mavericks dating back to last postseason. 

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers season has been well... Surprising, to put it nicely. They are currently tied for 10th in the west with a record of 19-25. With the acquisitions of Dwight Howard and Steve Nash, the Lakers looked like a safe bet for coming out as a top-dog in the west. But, we all have seen and heard the drama that has unfolded in the city of angels this year: The firing of Mike Brown, hiring of Mike D'antoni, Dwight's free-throw struggles, injuries and more. 

We all saw just a couple nights ago that the Lakers are not a team to look at and go, "Eh, we shouldn't have any problems." Because they beat the Thunder pretty impressively. If Kobe continues to distribute the ball as much as he has the past couple of games, then be on the lookout for a comeback season. But it is Kobe Bryant, an offensive juggernaut. My gut tells me his ego will not let him throw up less than 25 shots a game the rest of the season. 

Houston Rockets

Well... This. Is. Awkward.

The Rockets are currently in the 8th spot in the west with a record of 25-22. I do not think I need to tell you why this would be a very weird first-round for the Thunder. For those of you who live in a cardboard box, James Harden was shockingly traded to the Rockets just two weeks before the season's start. Harden reportedly declined an offer from the Thunder of $56 million, just $4 million short of the max offer. Instead of continuing his career with the city that loved him and a team that had a great shot at winning NBA titles (plural), he chose to get the maximum amount of money he could by signing an $80 million dollar contract with the Houston Rockets. Luckily, the acquisition of Kevin Martin in the trade took away a little bit of the sting from losing Harden. 

The Thunder match up pretty well with the Rockets. Jeremy Lin and James Harden are definitely two premier players in the NBA, but the Thunder are too fast and have too much talent for the Rockets to keep up. This series would be more interesting than competitive. So far this season the Thunder have kept Harden in check, keeping him at a shooting percentage below 35%. Maybe the Thunder are pretty familiar with Harden's style of play? I kinda hope that the Thunder have the Rockets in the first round. Mostly because I will not be too worried about the outcome, and I also think it will make good entertainment. 

There are obviously other teams that the Thunder could play in the first-round. Anything can happen. But the team I discussed above would be a bit more interesting. Like I said before, there is still a lot of season to play and the Thunder could have virtually anybody, but it is fun to think of the possibilities.