Ahead of what is likely to be a competitive back-to-back versus the Los Angeles Clippers, the Oklahoma City Thunder find themselves as one of the four teams left in the NBA without a win.
The Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings, all for various reasons, also continue to search for their first victory.
Los Angeles, led by four-time champion LeBron James, has struggled to put it together following a disappointing 2021-22 campaign. Orlando is still working out the kinks after landing top pick Paolo Banchero, and the Kings just haven’t found a way to put it all together yet despite a revamped roster.
Oklahoma City has played in three grueling bouts, two versus the Minnesota Timberwolves and one against the Denver Nuggets.
The contests featured what is likely to be three of the top five big men on the planet in back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic, and new dynamic duo Karl Anthony-Towns and Rudy Gobert.
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Simply put, the first three games weren’t exactly geared for an OKC win.
While the Thunder should certainly be more competitive this season, there’s already been factors in the early season that have caused players to miss games.
Second overall pick Chet Holmgren is done for the season with a Lisfranc. Jalen Williams, a day one contributor for Oklahoma City, played less than a half of basketball before being elbowed in the face, causing a orbital fracture. Star guards Josh Giddey and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have already missed time due to injury.
On top of that, the Thunder are still a young, growing team. And aren’t expected to put it together or be a finished product by season’s end. General Manager Sam Presti and the team will still very much be relying on the NBA Draft for at least one more season, and this early stretch is all apart of the process.
Oklahoma City takes on Los Angeles, sans Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, at 7 p.m. on Tuesday in Paycom Center. Should Gilgeous-Alexander play, it should be a very winnable game for the home team.
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