The Northwest Division is chock full of talented teams who were all expected to perform better than the OKC Thunder. Yet, as the NBA passes the quarter pole of the season it’s the Thunder, Kings, and Suns who are on the rise while the Western clubs who began the season with self-imposed expectations are struggling.
The longest road trip for the OKC Thunder this season is four games of which they’ll partake on two occasions. The game in Portland this past Sunday marked the first game of the initial set and the Monday match in Utah provided one of the most difficult back-to-back road sets any team will face this season.