The reigning NBA Champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, have started their 2025-26 campaign off strong, causing debates over their place in history.
A Hot Start
The Thunder have started the season with a 21-1 record and aren’t looking back. Through the first 22 games, the Thunder have a defensive rating of 105.2, ranking first amongst all other teams. This, paired with the fifth-best offensive rating of 120.2, leads the Thunder to have an average margin of victory of 15.32…the largest in NBA history. The Thunder’s impressive, early-season record is mostly due to their elite level of defense. OKC leads the league in opponent effective field goal percentage and opponent turnover percentage. Meaning, when playing against the Thunder, opponents make the least amount of shots and turn the ball over more times than when playing any other team.
Key Players
The Thunder roster, with an average age of 25.6, is among the youngest in the league. Furthermore, after winning the 2024-25 NBA Finals, they became the second-youngest championship team in history. In the offseason, Oklahoma City’s front office decided to keep the team’s young core together, including notable players: Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, Ajay Mitchell, Aaron Wiggins, and more.
Jalen Williams, in his third year, is the second option on this championship team, but has been injured to start the season. In only three games played, he’s averaging 16.3ppg. Chet Holmgren is also in his third NBA season and is averaging 18.4ppg, his career high. Isaiah Hartenstein is also having one of his best years, averaging 14.4ppg. Ajay Mitchell and Aaron Wiggins are also having breakout years, each averaging 13+ ppg. Luguentz Dort, Cason Wallace, and Alex Caruso are also important pieces to this team, making most of their impact on the defensive end.
The MVP
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the reigning MVP, Finals MVP, NBA scoring champion, and ALL-NBA first team selection. The twenty-seven-year-old point guard came into the season with high expectations and is yet to live down the hype. Averaging 32.8ppg on 55/43/88 shooting splits, leading the league in defensive win shares, and having the best plus-minus in the league, Shai is looking like a back-to-back MVP… all while only playing in eleven fourth quarters out of twenty-two games.
A New Dynasty
Many critics are already pointing to the Thunder as the favorites to win this year’s NBA Finals. And, the Thunder’s young core makes them a team to fear for the next five-plus years. The big three of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren all have contracts lasting until the 2031 season, allowing them to grow and get better together.
The Thunder front office also has some exciting things to look forward to. The Thunder currently owns the Los Angeles Clippers’ 2026 unprotected NBA draft pick, acquired in the 2019 trade that sent Paul George to the Clippers and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to the Thunder. Due to the Clippers’ rough start to the season, the pick is projected to be a top-five pick. Because of the talented upcoming draft class, the Thunder organization has a lot to look forward to. Caiden Robinson, Thunder superfan, says, “I don’t see anybody that can beat us in a seven-game series,” and “I’m hoping that the Clippers continue to play badly so we can get a phenomenal player out of the draft.” Thunder fans are excited for the organization’s near future, while the rest of the league is living in fear.
