After a first-seed finish last season, the odds are stacked against the Oklahoma City Thunder to repeat that achievement for the 2024-25 regular season.
Examining the 82-game schedule, a large sum of back-to-backs pop out. The Thunder are tied for most back-to-back among playoff teams from last season with 16. An uptick from 14 last year.
The LA Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers and New Orleans Pelicans also have 16 back-to-backs.
This is a killer revelation for the Thunder. Even with their youthful legs, there could be surprising losses caused solely by this scheduling snafu.
The league has tried to decrease the amount of back-to-back in recent years. It’s taken a step back in that goal for the sake of the NBA Cup, which will give most teams a semi-off week in December.
