The dawn of what figures to be a long playoff run is as good a time as any to look back. To remind ourselves how the Thunder got here, to the point where Oklahoma City is the favorite to win the NBA title.

Ja Morant, Grizzlies: Morant hasn’t played in the playoff since 2023, a quick five-game series loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. He wasn’t an All-Star this season or last season, and this is an opportunity for Morant, 25, to remind a larger audience of what he can still do on the court. The Thunder won the season series 4-0.