What would the end of the offseason be without a little back-and-forth about the best teams in the upcoming season? This year feels different, partly because some teams, like the Oklahoma City Thunder, are vastly improved, while other franchises are getting ready to witness the much-awaited return of their star players.
The Western Conference has been the NBA's staple for year-long entertainment. Recent seasons have seen a routine tug-of-war between teams at every level of the conference, particularly between the teams trying to contend for a top-four seed.
Should OKC be wary of this dark horse?
The NBA season wouldn't be complete without some surprises. Last season, while we witnessed the stunning decline of some teams that were seen as contenders entering the year, the upcoming 2024-25 season could see the flip side.
On a recent episode of "NBA Today," analysts Malika Andrews, Kendrick Perkins, Tim Legler, and Zach Lowe offered their bold takes on the season, with one prediction particularly standing out.
With the Thunder leading the way in the West by the majority opinion, they could also see some new competition they didn't have to worry about last season. Who is a potential scare for OKC in 2024?
"I think Memphis is going back into the top four in the Western Conference," says Lowe. "People have totally forgotten about them. They've written in pen [the] top four seeds: Oklahoma City, Denver, Minnesota, Dallas. I think OKC is totally fine. They are young. They are healthy. They are deep. They might run away with the No. 1 seed. I think that Memphis is crashing that party again. If you told me Memphis finished the season as the two-seed, I wouldn't even be surprised. ... I think Memphis is roaring back up the standings."
With the Grizzlies set to welcome back Ja Morant, Marcus Smart, and Desmond Bane next season, the team's chances of vying for a top-seed skyrocket. The last time Memphis was healthy, they were competing for a top-three seed and witnessed an MVP campaign from Morant, who was fixing to take the league by storm.
That's not to mention the addition of the plodding but highly skilled Zach Edey, whom the franchise added via the NBA Draft in June. At 7-foot-5 and a burly 300 pounds, Oklahoma City will have their hands full just keeping the Canadian big man off the glass.
Memphis also has a deeper track record than Oklahoma City. The Ja-led bunch struck a playoff berth in three straight seasons from 2021 to 2023, whereas OKC returned to the postseason in 2024 for the first time in four years.
That said, the Thunder have a talent advantage, starting with a perennial MVP candidate in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, a pair of ascending stars that will help spearhead arguably the association's best trio.
Memphis will certainly rebound in 2024, as will several other teams coming off underwhelming seasons. This may be the closest contested race to the top-four seeds (home-court advantage) the NBA has seen in years.
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