When the Oklahoma City Thunder traded Paul George and then franchise icon Russell Westbrook this past summer, it was seen as the organization waving the white flag.

After three first-round playoff exits following Kevin Durant's departure during the summer of 2016, things seemed hopeless in Oklahoma City. The Thunder were simply not able to put enough talent around Westbrook (and eventually George) to elevate themselves in the Western Conference.

The Thunder were supposed to be contending for a top-five pick this season. Not a playoff spot.

And yet, with under two months remaining during the 2019-20 campaign, OKC is 37-22 and sitting in fifth place in the West standings. More impressively, the Thunder have been legitimately dominant since Thanksgiving:

Barring a catastrophic collapse during this closing stretch, Oklahoma City is going to the postseason. That is something that would have been hard to fathom had I told you that back in October, but nevertheless, the Thunder are on their way to a pretty improbable trip to the playoffs.

So, just how has Oklahoma City done it?

Well, for starters, it seems pretty clear that Chris Paul, whom the Thunder got in return from the Houston Rockets for Westbrook, has a heck of a lot more left in the tank than many thought.

Most importantly, Paul has been able to stay healthy for a change. He has been brilliant, taking charge of a mostly inexperienced roster and making everyone around him better, much like he did during his early days in New Orleans.

As for the supporting cast? Veterans Steven Adams and Danilo Gallinari have been the definition of consistency, with Adams continuing to be one of the NBA's most underappreciated players in a league where space and pace reigns king and Gallinari representing the perfect modern-day power forward (at least on offense).

Second-year guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the primary piece Oklahoma City received in return from the Los Angeles Clippers in the George trade, has been the club's leading scorer and has flourished under Paul's leadership. He appears to be a star in the making, and he is putting everyone in the NBA on notice.

Heck, even Dennis Schroder, typically a high-volume chucker, has become an efficient scorer this season.

The rest of OKC's roster is littered with guys who could regularly puzzle Charles Barkley on TNT's “Who He Play For?” Abdel Nader. Hamidou Diallo. Terrance Ferguson. Luguentz Dort.

Who?

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And yet, they have all played a vital role in the Thunder's surprising success this season, filling their own little niches to perfectly supplement Oklahoma City's core group.

That core group has truly been outstanding, especially in the clutch. The Thunder have been the best clutch team in the NBA this season, racking up a 29.6 net rating in those situations, per NBA.com. A three-guard lineup featuring CP3, SGA and Schroder to go along with Gallo and Adams has been the go-to unit in these situations, and they've simply crushed it. Paul especially has been a killer.

Ultimately, I still don't think OKC is a legitimate contender. More than likely, the Thunder will be eliminated from the first round yet again, as their talent deficiency will almost surely be too much to overcome and the crunch-time dominance will likely even out a bit.

But we really have to appreciate the job that Billy Donovan (who is a sleeper Coach of the Year candidate) has done with this group, and we also have to admire the greatness of Paul, who wins wherever he goes (at least during the regular season).

At the very least, the Thunder will be a feisty first-round playoff opponent for someone, and that is more than even the most die-hard Oklahoma City fans anticipated heading into this season.