Oklahoma City has managed to recover from injuries and appears to be surging again, but their fight in the West is only starting. 

On Tuesday night, the Thunder will tip off the front half of a back-to-back in Portland as part of a four-game West Coast road trip. Sitting at 8-2, the Thunder have rebounded from some key injuries to remain one of the top teams in the league. 

Unfortunately for the Thunder, remaining one of the top teams in the league hasn’t exactly landed them clearly at the top of the standings. In the West, the race for the No. 1 seed is already heating up, and it one game can swing things drastically this early in the season. 

While the Thunder and the rest of the teams in the West will likely separate as the season progresses, it’s apparent that it will be a fight to get to and stay at the top. Currently, the West has three teams with two losses at the top of the conference, with Oklahoma City joining the 10-2 Los Angeles Lakers and the 9-2 San Antonio Spurs. 

A couple of potential contenders this season, the Lakers and Spurs could remain in the mix with the Thunder for the best record throughout the year. Of course, there is also plenty of challengers just below Oklahoma City, with five teams sitting at only three losses going into Tuesday night’s action. 

Despite how impressive the Thunder have looked amid their injury situation, it doesn’t necessarily mean much in the big picture. With so many talented teams in the West and a plethora of teams separated by only one loss at this point, the playoff picture will evolve considerably in the coming weeks and months. 

From the Thunder’s perspective, the standings simply can’t be something to worry about at this stage. Staying afloat over the next several weeks and then making a real run when Chet Holmgren returns should be the focus. 

Ideally, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company will be able to keep the Thunder winning at an 80% rate, but there are no guarantees in the NBA, especially with so many key pieces sidelined. In any case, the Thunder appear likely to be fighting for positioning in the standings from now through April. 

Regardless of where the Thunder end up, as long as the two-time MVP and the championship core can make it into the postseason, they’ll always have a chance to make something special happen.