OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma City Thunder have emerged this season as the league’s premier defensive unit and have compiled a 12–1 start, even while missing key contributors at times. Their star guard, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, is averaging 32.5 points—nearly matching his 32.7 MVP season—while Chet Holmgren has returned to deliver 18.7 points and 8.2 rebounds on roughly 60% shooting. The club’s net rating sits 2.5 points clear of the nearest rival and they are surrendering just 107 points per game, a mark that underpins the case that this Thunder team could outpace last season’s champion.
Key Takeaways
- The Thunder are 12–1 to start the season and lead the league in net rating by 2.5 points over the next-best team.
- Oklahoma City allows a league-low 107 points per game, anchored by versatile perimeter defenders and rim protectors.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 32.5 points, 6.6 assists and 5.2 rebounds with a 52% field-goal rate and a 57.1% effective field-goal percentage.
- Chet Holmgren is producing 18.7 points and 8.2 rebounds on nearly 60% shooting while playing just under 30 minutes per game after returning from a pelvic fracture.
- The team has absorbed absences—Lu Dort missed six games and Jalen Williams is recovering from wrist surgery—yet maintained elite defensive results.
- Front-office and roster continuity is strong: Gilgeous-Alexander, Holmgren and Williams signed long-term extensions last summer; Mark Daigneault has coached since 2020 and Sam Presti remains GM.
- Oklahoma City’s early-season blowouts, including decisive wins over Golden State and the Lakers, have highlighted both depth and a cohesive defensive identity.
Background
The NBA has not seen a repeat champion since the 2017–18 Golden State Warriors, and franchises that sustain success typically combine star talent with organizational continuity. In that context, the Thunder’s model—pairing an ascending franchise star with young complementary pieces and stable leadership—mirrors the ingredients of past dynasties. Last season’s 68-win juggernaut that won the Western Conference by 16 games set a high bar for dominance; Oklahoma City’s current iteration appears built to exceed even those lofty numbers if trends hold.
Oklahoma City’s recent ascent is the product of both development and strategic retention. Sam Presti’s roster construction has prioritized positional versatility and switchable defense, while the coaching staff has emphasized detail-oriented schemes that leverage Holmgren’s length and Shai’s creative playmaking. The club’s commitment to locking up core players with contract extensions signals an intent to remain together through the next championship window.
Main Event
This week’s stretch underscored how far the Thunder have come. In back-to-back emphatic showings, Oklahoma City dismantled Golden State—then 6–5 with Stephen Curry back—and followed with a 39-point rout of the 8–3 Lakers led by MVP-level Luka Dončić. Across the 96 minutes the Thunder played those two games, only an estimated eight minutes were truly in doubt, an indicator of both margin and consistency.
On the offensive end, Gilgeous-Alexander has carried the load at near–MVP-level efficiency, while Holmgren’s offseason recovery translated into spacing, rim protection and efficient scoring in limited minutes. Role players have stepped up as well: Isaiah Hartenstein provides interior presence, Cason Wallace ranks among the league’s leaders in steals, and Ajay Mitchell has emerged as a surprise candidate for Most Improved after converting a two-way opportunity into a longer-term role.
Defensively, Oklahoma City blends quick on-ball perimeter defense with length at the rim. Even without Lu Dort and Jalen Williams for portions of the schedule, the Thunder have held opponents to 107 points per game. High-profile opponents have struggled: Stephen Curry managed just 11 points in one matchup and Luka Dončić 19 in the next, examples that highlight the Thunder’s ability to limit elite scorers.
Analysis & Implications
The Thunder’s defensive identity is the clearest reason to project sustained success. A league-low points-allowed figure is not a fluke when it is produced with different lineups, during absences, and against top offensive teams. That defensive base gives the offense room to grow without demanding maximum scoring nights from every rotation player.
Shai’s continued efficiency and growth as a two-way leader position him for another MVP-level campaign, but the presence of Nikola Jokić in Denver remains the principal obstacle in individual awards and in a postseason matchup. Oklahoma City’s February slate includes four games against the Nuggets—an unusual schedule cluster that will serve as the most meaningful in-season benchmark of how repeatable the Thunder’s performance can be.
Continuity matters more than a single breakout season. With long-term extensions for the core, an established coaching staff and a front office that has shown patience, the Thunder have institutional stability that historically correlates with multi-year contention. Personnel depth—especially with defenders like Cason Wallace and veterans capable of toggling minutes—means injuries are less likely to derail the club over a full campaign.
Comparison & Data
| Team | Record | Defensive Notes | Net Rating Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma City Thunder | 12–1 | League-low 107 PPG allowed; versatile perimeter and rim defenders | 1st, +2.5 vs. nearest rival |
| Denver Nuggets | — | Second in defensive rating; elite offense led by Nikola Jokić | 2nd |
| Last season’s top Western team (68 wins) | — | Posted 68 wins and won the West by 16 games | — |
The table above focuses on the metrics referenced in this piece: record, defensive performance and relative net rating. The Thunder’s combination of top-tier defense and an elite, improving offensive leader creates a profile that is statistically and stylistically different from many contenders.
Reactions & Quotes
Public and league reactions have reinforced the narrative of a team that is cohesive and purpose-built.
“They are a well-oiled machine.”
Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors (opponent)
Green’s remark followed a one-sided game and was offered as a succinct assessment of Oklahoma City’s structure: coordinated rotations, timely help defense, and a stable offensive identity.
“As the games go on… the game just continues to slow down for me.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder
Gilgeous-Alexander framed his own development as incremental and process-driven, emphasizing defensive understanding and self-scouting as drivers of refinement rather than complacency after prior success.
“He sees himself as an unfinished product.”
Mark Daigneault, Thunder coach
Coach Daigneault used that phrase to explain why the team’s leader continues to pursue incremental gains—a mindset the staff sees as contagious and stabilizing across the roster.
Unconfirmed
- Whether the Thunder will maintain this net-rating gap across the full season remains uncertain; long-term sample size is limited.
- The precise impact of Jalen Williams’ wrist recovery and Lu Dort’s short-term availability on playoff rotations is still to be determined.
- Prognoses that Oklahoma City will definitively repeat as champions are speculative until February’s Denver matchups and the full regular season provide larger samples.
Bottom Line
Oklahoma City’s early-season performance combines elite defense, the ascending play of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and efficient secondary scoring from Chet Holmgren. Those elements, paired with organizational stability—contract extensions, a steady coach, and a patient front office—create the structural conditions that have produced past multi-year contenders.
Significant tests remain: a February gauntlet against Denver, the return-to-health trajectories of role players, and the playoffs’ single-elimination volatility. If the Thunder can sustain defensive excellence and retain Shai’s efficiency, they will not only challenge the reigning champion but also present the most convincing case in years that a repeat is within reach.
Sources
- Sports Illustrated — Media report and original coverage of the games and interviews.
- NBA.com/Stats — Official league statistics and team metrics (official statistics).
- Basketball-Reference — Historical player and team data (statistical database).