The OKC Thunder’s return from the All-Star break could pose an intriguing five.-Game Slate.

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s latest victory over the Orlando Magic propelled one of the NBA’s youngest teams to 37 wins before the All-Star break. Now, with more than a week’s break excluding technicalities for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Cason Wallace, and Keyontae Johnson, all of whom took part in All-Star festivities, Oklahoma City hopes to surpass 40 victories before 20 loses in its next five games.

Phil Jackson, the Hall of Fame head coach, used this rule of thumb. If you get 40 before the age of 20, you should be considered a potential championship candidate.

“You must win 40 games before you lose 20 to be seen as an elite team,” Jackson declared in 2008, during the late Kobe Bryant’s prime. On the surface, that seems sense. Jackson’s record-breaking 11 titles as head coach of the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers spanned two decades, and each of his teams surpassed the 40-before-20 mark on their way to winning the Larry O’Brien.

From 2011 to 2020, just eight of 40 clubs made it to the conference finals without winning 40 games and losing 20. None of the eight went on to win the NBA championship.

Needless to say, the philosophy is quite telling. And I wouldn’t oppose the man who has 13 championships in all, the most of any player or coach in history. So the Thunder will need to win at least three of their next five games. With the Los Angeles Clippers, Washington Wizards, Houston Rockets (twice), and San Antonio Spurs playing over eight days, this schedule does not appear too formidable.

Thunder are 37-17, have to win three of the next five to go 40-before-20,

Coming off AS break: Clippers, Wizards, Rockets, Rockets, Spurs.

Extremely doable.

— Derek Parker (@DParkOK) February 14, 2024

Given that Oklahoma City has yet to lose three consecutive games this season, there’s a good chance Gilgeous-Alexander and his teammates will achieve that goal after a rejuvenating layoff. And, while it appears to be a light-hearted goal that head coach Mark Daigneault would likely dismiss and shake his head at, one can only imagine that the team as a whole would love to brag about it, especially after last year’s team overwhelmingly exceeded expectations with only 40 wins on the season.

It’s been another season of overcoming skepticism and drowning out the noise for the Daigneault-led Thunder, and they’re closing in on the NBA’s current powerhouses.