A quick start will be crucial for the Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder are one of the favorites for first place in the Western Conference this year. On Thursday they begin what will hopefully be a long and successful season against the Denver Nuggets. A quick start like last year could be crucial for them in the long run. Teams like the 2010 Heat and others had successful seasons, even if they struggled early on. However, given the depth and strength of the Western Conference, a fast start will be more beneficial.

A quick start will be crucial for the Thunder

Why a strong start to the season will be more beneficial

Moving up in the standings is much more difficult than going down. Catching up all year isn’t easy, especially considering how deep the Western Conference is, where eight games could be the difference from the top seed to the play-in tournament.

More room for error later in the year

Typically teams are healthy at the start of the year, but injuries will undoubtedly occur as the year progresses. Having a significant lead at the start of the season gives you some cushion when the threat of injury comes.

Additionally, Oklahoma City will be without Isaiah Hartenstein for at least six weeks. Since he is new, it may take some time to integrate him into the offense and it won’t be perfect right away. In his limited preseason action, there was a lot of promise and potential in how he fits into the Thunder’s offense and what they can do with him. However, this may not be immediately possible in the regular season. A quick start without him will give them time to come together.

10 home games in the first 16 games

Finally, the Thunder have played 10 home games in their first 16 games. This means that Oklahoma City has already played 24.4% of its home games at the start of the season. They only have 31 home games left in 66 games. Teams usually play much better at home than away. If they struggle to open the season while playing most of their games at home, it could be harder to catch up on the road. That shouldn’t be a problem for the Thunder. In the 2023/24 season, the team achieved a 33-8 record at home, demonstrating their dominance on their turf.

The final word on why the Thunder need a fast start

Oklahoma City has big ambitions this year to be the No. 1 seed at Western again and win a championship. The best way to secure your place at the top is to get off to a fast start like last year. If they are unable to do that, it will be more difficult to get where they want to be in April and May, especially when it comes to arranging their schedule. But even if the Thunder don’t get off to a good start, this season is not a failure.