As teams returned from the break there was a renewed focus on the playoff ladder, positioning and emphasis on the closing schedule. That led to pundits looking at how teams had performed through the first 55 days of the schedule and subsequently the OKC Thunder were benefactors of this review.
Many sites and media members who previously refused to put the Thunder in their top 10 realized not only was OKC not going away – in fact they are getting stronger.
Previously a loss here or there resulted in the Thunder unilaterally dropping down lists always sticking in the range of 11th to 15th.