Everybody is saying for a while now that OKC has a bright future ahead. But does the future start now? Can the Thunder already become a top team in the West or even a contender this season?

They have a MVP caliber player in Shai, they have another potential All-Star level player in Chet (I think he already can reach All-Star level this season) and they have a few other good players as well. So they have the franchise guy, they have the second guy and they have the supporting cast. They look good on defense and offense, and the team might only get better as the season progresses with all the young players improving.

How many teams in the West are clearly better than OKC?