How Oklahoma City Has Proven Themselves True Title Contenders

We are almost halfway through the NBA regular season, and most basketball fans have a pretty clear picture of who is expected to make a legitimate run at the NBA Finals.

The Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs are the trendy picks out West, while it appears the Cleveland Cavaliers have a relatively clear path to the Finals in the East when they're at full strength.

However, it's much more fun to predict an "under-the-radar" team having success in the playoffs, although it's hard to call the Oklahoma City Thunder a "sleeper" team with the amount of talent on their roster.

At 24-11 and in third place in the Western Conference behind only Golden State and San Antonio, it's hard to find fault in what the Thunder have done to this point.

However, expectations are extremely high in Oklahoma City this year, especially with the possibility of Kevin Durant leaving in free agency in the offseason.

Despite breaking in a new coach in Billy Donovan, the Thunder have continued their usual dominance on offense.

1. Golden State Warriors	112.0
2. Oklahoma City Thunder	109.3
3. San Antonio Spurs	107.8
4. Los Angeles Clippers	105.2

Any team that has two of the top five scorers in the entire league is bound to be dangerous, and the Thunder are one of only a few teams that can say they have two MVP candidates taking the floor every night in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

Durant has continued to play at his usual, efficient level, but some minor injuries have slowed down what could have been a potential MVP season with his 26.6 points per game on 51.7 percent shooting.

If Durant is able to stay healthy this season, the Thunder will rely on his knack for knocking down big shots in clutch situations, a skill that cannot be undervalued come playoff time.

Russell Westbrook has continued his torrid pace after an incredible 2014-2015 campaign, where he essentially almost carried the Thunder into the playoffs despite the absence of Durant for most of the season.

Westbrook is averaging 25.3/6.8/9.5 across the board this year, all while shooting 46 percent from the field.

While those aren't quite Stephen Curry numbers, the Thunder's star point guard brings more athleticism and energy than just about anyone else in the NBA.

Oklahoma City had trouble finding a legitimate low-post threat for many years, but this season it appears the Thunder have two big men they can count on.

Steven Adams has developed a knack for getting under his opponents' skin with his hard-nosed play, while also understanding how to embarrass some of the NBA's best with an impressive ability to finish at the rim.

Adams has also learned to split time effectively with Enes Kanter, a late-season acquisition last year who is averaging 11.6 points and 7.7 rebounds off the bench this year.

Despite Kanter's emergence, a weak point of this Thunder squad is their lack of other reliable scoring options off the bench.

Dion Waiters, one of the NBA's most fascinating yet frustrating players, is having his typical boom-or-bust year from the field.

While he occasionally has shown an ability to be a double-digit point scoring option for the Thunder, he is more well known for plays like this:

The emergence of Cameron Payne could be an important development for Oklahoma City's second unit, as the rookie out of Murray State should continue to improve alongside the likes of Anthony Morrow, a 41.9 percent three-point shooter.

Since taking over for D.J. Augustin as the backup point guard, Payne is averaging 9.4 points per game, giving the Thunder's second unit a much-needed boost.

Improvement on the defensive side of the ball will be of the utmost importance for Oklahoma City's coaching staff, although the Thunder have improved from 16th to 9th in defensive efficiency from last year.

Despite that improvement, though, the Thunder have allowed an average of 108.7 points per game over their last six games, something that must be improved before facing top competition.

For comparison's sake, the Spurs, Warriors and Cavaliers are all in the top five of defensive efficiency this season, showing an emphasis on that end of the floor.

If Oklahoma City's defensive issues are able to be cleaned up in the coming months, the Thunder could prove to be more balanced and dangerous than they currently seem. With an imposing presence down low in Serge Ibaka, the Thunder at least have a solid piece to build around.

While it's understandable that the Warriors, Spurs and Cavaliers are the most popular picks to bring home an NBA Championship, it would be unwise to count out the Thunder just yet.

It is extremely difficult to slow down a team with Oklahoma City's skill and talent over a seven-game series, so the Thunder will not be a fun matchup for any team.

With a sharpshooting 6'9'' forward and one of the most athletic point guards in the league at Billy Donovan's disposal, the Thunder will be a true force to be reckoned with in the postseason.

Golden State, San Antonio, Cleveland, you've been warned.