Expectations were low coming into the season, especially without no. 2 overall pick, Chet Holmgren, sidelined after a stellar summer league debut. But the Thunder blew past even the most optimistic projections, landing in the play-in tournament and finishing one win away from a playoff berth.
With such a surprising season, despite coming up short of the playoffs, optimism abounds in OKC.
One big narrative that took a hit this year was the Thunder being a "black eye" for tanking.
After the Thunder's exciting win over the New Orleans Pelicans, the reviews on the play-in tournament (and OKC's place in it) were stellar.