After losing to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder dropped to eighth place in the Western Conference with 10 games left in the regular season.
The team has struggled since the All-Star break after posting just a 5-10 record. The loss on Wednesday was the fourth in a row as the Raptors loom again on Friday in Toronto.
With the Thunder now in eighth place, tied with the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers at 42-30, the team would face the Golden State Warriors if the playoffs started now.
While OKC has certainly struggled as of late, the players know there is still time to figure things out. If they can string together a few wins, the playoff picture can change drastically.
“We know if we win where we’re at,” Paul George said. “We know when we lose where we’re at going into the game. We control our destiny.”
Head coach Billy Donovan and the player do not seem to be worried about their current skid but it is evident they are running out of time to get rolling again before the postseason.
And their remaining schedule isn’t going to help matters, either.
Of the eight West teams currently in the playoff picture, the Thunder have the toughest remaining schedule with a .525 strength of schedule, according to the NBA. Six of those games are against teams currently above .500 with teams like the Raptors, Houston Rockets, Milwaukee Bucks and the Indiana Pacers left to play.
So, while George and the rest of the team believe they control their own destiny, it will be a difficult road to do so.
