Oklahoma City Thunder Schedule Breakdown and Record Predictions for January 2015
It no longer looks like a question of “if” the Oklahoma City Thunder make the playoffs, but how high they can climb in the standings. With the superstars back in tow, the Thunder reeled off an 11-5 record in December and have already caught up with the Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Pelicans in the race for that final playoff spot in the West.
The Western Conference has been ridiculously good this season, which makes for a fascinating playoff race—not in terms of who will make the cut but what the final standings will look like. After a strong December, OKC will need to play even better in January against a tougher schedule in order to gain any ground on the top seven seeds.
OKC plays 14 games in the first month of 2015, with 10 on the road. As of the beginning of January, the Thunder uncharacteristically have a losing record away from the Chesapeake Energy Arena and will need to correct that shortcoming to move up in the standings. It won’t be easy, as six of those road games are against teams that are .500 or better.
The January schedule is analyzed in this slideshow, broken into weekly (i.e., Monday to Sunday) segments. Each week will get its own slide complete with the schedule, a breakdown of the most interesting matchups and a prediction of OKC’s record. The last slide will contain a prediction for the entire month’s record.
Week 1
1 of 6
Schedule: vs. Washington Wizards (Jan. 2)
The Thunder open the New Year with a doozy of a matchup against the red-hot Washington Wizards. While broadcasts may try to loop in storylines of Durant’s potential free-agency move to his hometown team, the real intrigue will be on the court, as the Wizards have established themselves as a force in the East.
Washington boasts a deep and well-rounded roster, but John Wall is the centerpiece. The point guard matchup in this game will be fascinating, as Wall and Russell Westbrook are not only two of the best guards in the game but also two of the most athletic. Expect to see plenty of jaw-dropping finishes and coast-to-coast magic in this one.
As usual, Kevin Durant will be the difference-maker in this game. Westbrook and Wall figure to cancel each other out, but the Wizards have nobody capable of making life difficult for the reigning MVP.
That mismatch and the home crowd should combine to give the Thunder the edge in their first game of 2015.
Weekly Record Prediction: 1-0 (W)
Week 2
2 of 6
Schedule: at Golden State Warriors (Jan. 5); at Sacramento Kings (Jan. 7); vs. Utah Jazz (Jan. 9)
Game of the Week: Golden State Warriors
OKC has already dropped two games against the Warriors, but they have the opportunity to avenge those losses with two more matchups in the month of January, starting in the Oracle Arena on Jan. 5.
There is always plenty of excitement whenever these two teams get together, and that was no different last time. Durant exploded for 30 points in the first half before injury prevented him from returning to the court.
For the Thunder to have any realistic chance of moving up the standings, they have to take care of business against the teams ahead of them, so this is a meaningful encounter against the best in the league.
While the Warriors game is clearly the most exciting one of the week, the Sacramento Kings should also provide an intriguing matchup. At point guard, there’s the matchup of former UCLA teammates in Westbrook and Darren Collison. On the wing, Rudy Gay is one of the only players in the league who resembles Durant in body type, athleticism and versatility.
Last but not least, all eyeballs should be focused on the matchup of DeMarcus Cousins and Steven Adams. In terms of talent, this is a massacre, but both players love playing physical basketball. It will thoroughly entertaining to monitor Cousins’ emotions against one of the most irritating players in the league.
Weekly Record Prediction: 3-0 (W, W, W)
Week 3
3 of 6
Schedule: at Houston Rockets (Jan. 15); vs. Golden State Warriors (Jan. 16); at Orlando Magic (Jan. 18)
Game of the Week: Houston Rockets
OKC enjoys a long five-day layoff before playing three games in four nights, starting with a brutal back-to-back set against two of the league’s best teams. Any matchup with the Houston Rockets is fascinating as it dredges up the infamous James Harden trade: it’s sad to see Durant, Westbrook and Harden on the same floor but on different teams. Beyond that, it’s always entertaining to see Westbrook and Patrick Beverley go head-to-head as two of the league’s feistiest competitors.
Despite losing a number of talented players during the offseason, the Rockets are a better team with a more defined defensive philosophy. While this will be a battle of elite players and intense rivals, it will probably be somewhat infuriating to watch, as it features four players who spend inordinate amounts of time at the free-throw line.
The Thunder then face the Warriors again with the disadvantage of playing on tired legs. Nevertheless, it will probably be a more aesthetically pleasing encounter thanks to having Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant on the court at the same time.
OKC closes out the week by starting an East Coast road trip in Orlando, something that has plenty of “trap game” potential: a weak opponent, the third game in four nights and a Thunder team that is sure to be focused on the rest of the challenging road trip.
Weekly Record Prediction: 2-1 (W, L, W)
Week 4
4 of 6
Schedule: at Miami Heat (Jan. 20); at Washington Wizards (Jan. 21); at Atlanta Hawks (Jan. 23); at Cleveland Cavaliers (Jan. 25)
Game of the Week: Cleveland Cavaliers
Week 4 is a tough stretch of road games against four good Eastern teams (although the Miami Heat have been plagued by injuries). Washington and Atlanta have both been better than expected and phenomenal at home.
All of these games are potential losses for the Thunder, but the most interesting of the week is unquestionably against the Cavs.
LeBron James missed the last matchup between these two teams, but he should be ready for the sequel even though news broke that he’ll be out for the first two weeks of 2015. We have yet to see these two squads compete at full strength, so it should be an entertaining contest between the league’s two best players.
Weekly Record Prediction: 3-1 (W, L, W, W)
Week 5
5 of 6
Schedule: vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (Jan. 26); at New York Knicks (Jan. 28); at Memphis Grizzlies (Jan. 31)
Game of the Week: Memphis Grizzlies
The last week of January features a much easier schedule before closing with a battle against a familiar foe. Minnesota has a number of young and exciting players, but Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine and Co. are no match for the Thunder—even if OKC is on a back-to-back.
Similarly, the New York Knicks have been a joke this season and are seriously challenging the Philadelphia 76ers as the worst team in the league. Carmelo Anthony’s health has been in question all season, but even if he plays, it will be a lopsided affair.
The clear-cut game of the week is in the Grindhouse against the Grizzlies. This will be an important test as Memphis has generally been able to limit the effectiveness of Westbrook and Durant. If it happens again here, will role players be able to capitalize on all the defensive attention being focused on the two stars?
Weekly Record Prediction: 2-1 (W, W, L)
The Month of January
6 of 6
January brings a more challenging path than December, but OKC was still finding its rhythm last month and had to deal with Durant missing six games. Furthermore, three of the Thunder’s five losses in December came during that Durant-less stretch, and he looked like he was regaining his MVP-caliber form.
Barring further injury, the Thunder should keep rattling off wins and secure a playoff spot. An 11-3 record is impressive, but it would be especially notable given the strength of schedule and all the road games the team has to play in January.
If these predictions are miraculously accurate, OKC would finish the month with a 27-20 record and winning percentage of 67.5. The scary thing about that is we don’t know where that would place OKC in the West.
While it’s reasonable to expect the elite teams to cool down a little bit, there are no mirages atop the Western Conference. All of those teams are for real, and it’s feasible that an 11-3 record in January would merely give the Thunder a comfortable lead over the playoff hopefuls (Phoenix, New Orleans and Sacramento) while they remained in eighth place.
Predicted January Record: 11-3
Total Season Record (if Predictions Are Accurate): 27-20
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