Right out of the gates, the Oklahoma City Thunder won’t have much room for error to start the 2024-24 regular season.
The Thunder unveiled their 82-game slate recently as the calendar creeps closer to starting training camp in less than two months. OKC hopes to repeat its success from last season as the first seed.
To achieve that goal, they will need to get off to a hot start and fight through any possible adjustment periods needed for Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso — who will be two of the top-six rotation players.
The Thunder have the fifth-hardest strength of schedule in October and November among last year’s playoff squads. OKC’s early opponents had a combined .512 win percentage last season.
The Suns have the hardest strength of schedule of any team in the NBA through November 😳 pic.twitter.com/9x8F9X4hxv
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) August 15, 2024
A slow start might dampen the Thunder’s ambitions of the first seed. Hovering around .500 could put them behind the marathon as 57 wins was barely enough to get the first seed last season.
Overall, it’s a daunting schedule for the Thunder, who are also tied for the most back-to-backs at 16 this year, an increase from last season’s 14 total.
Regardless of seeding, what’s more important is how strong the Thunder look at the end of the season and the health of their top pieces. Those two variables are more important than chasing a few spots in the standings.
