The defending champion Thunder are off to a 7-0 start while the Pelicans and Nets are both winless two weeks into the NBA season. Oklahoma City looks legitimately good again while New Orleans and Brooklyn both look really bad.
The question is, which streak will end first?
Despite Zion Williamson's new physique, the Pelicans have the worst offense in the NBA at 107.7 points per game while the Nets are fifth-worst at just over 111.9. They have two of the three worst defenses in the league with the Pelicans giving up 125 points a game while the Nets are surrendering a league-worst 127.6.
Meanwhile, the Thunder have the second-best defense and are scoring 122.1 points per game, which is fifth-best in the league.
The Thunder can beat anyone. The Pelicans and Nets... can't. So how long can the Thunder remain undefeated and how long will the Pelicans and Nets have to wait to taste sweet victory? And what comes first? Let's make some bold predictions.
When will the Nets win?
On Wednesday the Nets will take on the Pacers who are without Tyrese Haliburton and off to a 1-6 start of their own this season. After that they play two playoff teams in the Knicks and Pistons before a very nice stretch against the sub-.500 Raptors, Magic, Wizards and then two against the Celtics. There are plenty of legitimate chances to win over the next nine games and it feels like they should run into a team playing just as poorly at some point during that stretch.
Prediction: The Nets will beat the Wizards on Sunday, Nov. 16 in Washington after starting the season 0-13.
When will the Pelicans win?
The Pelicans host the Hornets on Tuesday night then travel to Dallas to play the Mavericks on Wednesday. After that it's the Spurs, Suns, Trail Blazers, Lakers, Warriors and Thunder. New Orleans could easily be the last team to get a win this season.
Prediction: The Pelicans will beat the Hawks at home on Saturday, Nov. 22 after starting the season 0-17.
When will the Thunder lose?
Maybe never. The Thunder are good and want to keep winning. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the best player in the league when he plays. Last year he didn't miss a game until January. The year before he missed just one game before March.
The Thunder's toughest immediate test will be Tuesday night against the Clippers as they begin a four-game road trip that includes games against the Blazers, Kings and Grizzlies. Then they play two home games against the Warriors and Lakers who are both good, but you never know who will be playing. After that it's Hornets, Pelicans, Kings, Jazz and Blazers.
There are three potentially tough games in there, otherwise 18-0 isn't out of the question before they take on the Timberwolves on Thanksgiving eve on ESPN. If they can get through that game, they've got the Suns and Blazers to end November and then things get really interesting.
The NBA record for the best start to a season is when the '15-'16 Warriors won their first 24 games. The Thunder play their 24th game of the season on Dec. 7 against the Jazz in Utah. Then the NBA Cup quarterfinals begin.
Prediction: The Thunder start 29-0 on a technicality. The will be 26-0 and lose in the NBA Cup championship game for the second year in a row, which will not count against their record. They'll then win three more games before they finally lose to the Spurs in San Antonio on Dec. 23, which is the second night of a back-to-back two days before the teams meet on Christmas on ABC.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Schedule Watch: When Will the Thunder Lose? When Will the Nets or Pelicans Win?.