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Thunder 2024-25 Schedule: Top Games, Championship Odds and Record Predictions

Doric SamAugust 15, 2024

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JANUARY 20: Chet Holmgren #7 and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder look on against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the fourth quarter at Target Center on January 20, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Thunder defeated the Timberwolves 102-97. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
David Berding/Getty Images

After seeing the fruits of their rebuild bloom in 2023-24, the Oklahoma City Thunder are ready for the next step in their evolution to NBA championship contenders.

Despite having the second-youngest team in the league, the Thunder surprisingly achieved the best record in a wildly competitive Western Conference last year by finishing at 57-25. It was Oklahoma City's first winning season since 2019-20 and the team made a massive leap from finishing in 10th place in 2022-23 to first place last year.

The Thunder's youth movement was spearheaded by star point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished second in the voting for NBA MVP behind Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokić. With a core that includes Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Luguentz Dort, Oklahoma City has arguably the best collection of young talent in the NBA.

Unfortunately, the Thunder had their season come to an end in the Western Conference Semifinals in six games against the Dallas Mavericks. Oklahoma City loaded up to make a deeper run next year by adding coveted veterans Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein to the roster this offseason.

This year, the Thunder will be the ones with the target on their backs. Here's a look at the slate Oklahoma City will be facing as it tries to live up to its championship expectations.


2024-25 Thunder Schedule Details

Season Opener: at Denver Nuggets, Oct. 24, 10 p.m. ET

Championship Odds: +700 (bet $100 to win $700), per FanDuel

Full Schedule: The full schedule is available on NBA.com.


Top Matchups

Dallas Mavericks

If the 2024 playoffs were any indication, the Thunder and Mavericks will be one of the top rivalries in the Western Conference for years to come.

Dallas is led by another perennial MVP candidate in star point guard Luka Dončić, who went toe-to-toe with Gilgeous-Alexander during their six-game series. The Mavs went on to represent the West in the NBA Finals before falling to the Boston Celtics in five games.

The Thunder won the regular-season series 3-1, but things were much more closely contested in the postseason. The six games were decided by an average of 8.6 points, showing how evenly matched the two teams are.

Dort was tasked with slowing down Dončić during the conference semis and did an excellent job, as the Slovenian's average of 24.7 points was his lowest in any playoff series last season.

Dallas made a splash this offseason by signing four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson, who is more than familiar with going to war with Oklahoma City in the playoffs after his tenure with the Golden State Warriors.

Both the Thunder and Mavs will be trying to establish supremacy in the Western Conference next season, so the matchups between them will surely produce some intense battles that fans will enjoy.

Memphis Grizzlies

In many ways, matchups between the Thunder and the Memphis Grizzlies will be like looking in a mirror for both squads.

It wasn't that long ago that the Grizzlies were the young darlings of the NBA, as they emerged from their rebuild by achieving second-place finishes in the West in both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons.

Memphis even had a similar formula to the one that brought Oklahoma City success last season, as its young core is led by star point guard Ja Morant, swingman Desmond Bane and defensive stalwart Jaren Jackson Jr.

However, injuries derailed the 2023-24 campaign for the Grizzlies as they placed 13th in the West with a 27-55 record, their fewest wins since they went 22-60 in 2017-18. It can be expected that a fully healthy Memphis team will be motivated to reestablish itself as one of the top contenders in the league this year.

The battles between Gilgeous-Alexander and Morant will pit two of the league's most exciting young players against one another. Morant owns a 6-3 advantage in their head-to-head series, and he will be driven to take back his spot as an MVP candidate.

The Thunder swept the regular-season series 3-0 last year, so momentum is on their side. Still, it will be fun to watch the Grizzlies try to knock them off their perch this season.


Season Forecast

The Thunder are going from the hunters to the hunted, but that shouldn't stop them from being on the shortlist of title contenders this season. Oklahoma City has the second-best odds to win the NBA championship in 2025 behind only the defending champion Celtics.

Questions surrounding the Thunder's youth were rampant following their playoff loss to the Mavericks, and rightfully so. Williams disappeared for long stretches during the series and Holmgren struggled to protect the paint.

However, the sting of losing early despite being the No. 1 seed should serve as fuel for Oklahoma City's youngsters to bounce back in a big way this season.

The additions of Caruso and Hartenstein were among the best moves of any team this offseason. Both are low-maintenance players who will fill their roles perfectly with the Thunder.

Caruso is the reigning NBA Hustle Award winner and is known for being a quintessential "glue guy" who can contribute in a variety of ways. He's earned All-Defensive selections in each of the last two seasons, so the combination of him and Dort will undoubtedly stifle opposing backcourt duos and take pressure off of Gilgeous-Alexander.

Hartenstein spent most of the 2023-24 season as the backup center for the New York Knicks, but he proved he could be effective in a larger role after starter Mitchell Robinson went down with a fractured ankle. He averaged 12.1 rebounds in the month of January while seeing starters' minutes.

These new faces added to Oklahoma City's existing core group should lead to an even bigger year for Gilgeous-Alexander, who has proven to be an MVP-caliber player. The 26-year-old will have more opportunities to dominate on the offensive end while the Thunder look to prove that the 2023-24 campaign was no fluke.

If all goes well, Oklahoma City will be in the running for the top seed in the West once again.

Record Prediction: 54-28