"When the Oklahoma City Thunder come to the Rose Garden on Monday, they figure to give the Trail Blazers a measuring-stick game.

"They're the top team right now in the Western Conference and playing good basketball," Blazers coach Nate McMillan said.

It's a position many thought the Thunder (18-5) -- who despite losing at San Antonio on Saturday, have the best record in the NBA -- would get to this season after they reached Western Conference Finals last season. In a poll of the league's general managers, 67.9 percent predicted the Thunder would be the West's representative in the NBA Finals.

The early success this season continues the Thunder's ascension since 2007-08, when in their final season as the Seattle SuperSonics, they finished with a 20-62 record. The rise, under the guidance of general manager Sam Presti, was accomplished through a combination of smart drafting, roster moves and salary cap management, as well as a healthy dose of good luck and timing."