Oklahoma City’s Christmas Day ignorance could provide insight into the city’s national television schedule.

Last season, the Thunder won 57 games and rose to the top of the Western Conference. In addition to finishing first, the team also won a playoff series for the first time since 2016.

However, those victories were not enough to secure Oklahoma City a game on the NBA’s opening day. Instead, the league will feature seven other teams from the West, making Oklahoma City the first No. 1 seed in the West to miss Christmas the following season since the San Antonio Spurs in 2012.

While many expect the Thunder to be one of the best in the league and a contender for a championship, playing in a small market could still hurt. Last season, the Thunder had 13 nationally televised games at the time the schedule was released, a number that far exceeded any games in recent seasons.

While the Thunder look to be back to the high levels of their first era, they are not yet the team Oklahoma City wanted to see during Russell Westbrook’s time. Of course, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a chance to change that, especially if he breaks through next season and is named MVP.

Although the Thunder will miss Christmas, they still have a chance to play on some of the league’s other big days. Not only is opening night a possibility, but a game on Martin Luther King Jr. Day is also possible.

Oklahoma City isn’t a big, flashy market, nor does it have a league poster child like LeBron James or Stephen Curry, but the Thunder’s regular-season schedule may not matter, as they’ll have the opportunity to get as much attention as they want in the postseason.

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