The Oklahoma City Thunder might be the most ridiculous and impossible to explain team in basketball right now.
A team this young shouldn’t be this good.
A team this injured shouldn’t be 12–1.
A team missing All-Star Jalen Williams shouldn’t look like a machine operating at maximum efficiency.
But the Thunder are not a regular NBA team.
They’re becoming something historic.
And today, we’ve got a special collab with @8scth, one of the sharpest Thunder voices on X. Here’s his link:🔗 https://x.com/8scth
When I asked him for his thoughts on OKC’s dominant stretch — without J-Dub and barely using Shai in the 4th — he dropped this:
“Okc is 12-1 is a very impressive record especially with the number of injuries especially without J-Dub. The defense has been amazing like we all expected, Shai doing his thing like normal, but the biggest surprise to most people (but not to me) is the emergence of Ajay Mitchell. He has emerged as a 6th Man of the Year candidate. My biggest question is: will this team stay healthy? And my hot take — I think OKC could beat the Warriors’ 73–9 record.” — @8scth
Bold. Confident. And honestly… not as crazy as it sounds anymore.
Let’s break it all down.
The Wildest Part: Shai Doesn’t Even Play in the 4th Right Now
Most teams need their superstar every second just to stay afloat.
OKC?
They’re benching Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for entire 4th quarters — 10 games in a row — and still crushing teams.
Last year’s MVP runner-up is averaging near 30 PPG… in three quarters.
This is alien behavior.
The Thunder aren’t just winning — they’re ending games early.
Blowouts so big that OKC can treat fourth quarters like preseason scrimmages.
That’s not normal.
That’s dominance.
And it’s what makes this entire run so hard to comprehend.
The Injuries Should’ve Broken Them… But Made Them Stronger
Let’s talk context:
🔹 No Jalen Williams for weeks (ligament injury)
🔹 Multiple rotation guys in and out
🔹 Lineups shifting constantly
And yet…
12–1. Best record in the league. No Shai in crunch time.
This would be like losing a top-3 creator on your team and somehow leveling UP.
This is where @8scth dropped the key insight: OKC’s defense has been the backbone.
They have:
- Switchability
- Length everywhere
- Elite help instincts
- A 7’1 cheat code in Chet Holmgren
OKC doesn’t just defend — they suffocate.
And then they run down your throat before you can breathe again.
The Ajay Mitchell Breakout Is REAL
Here’s where the story gets spicy.
Ajay Mitchell has gone from “promising young piece” to:
🔥 Legitimate 6th Man of the Year candidate
🔥 Reliable scorer
🔥 Plus defender
🔥 Secondary creator who closes games
What @8scth said is dead on — his rise shouldn’t surprise Thunder fans who watched his college tape. But the NBA world is definitely shocked.
Every dynasty has that one unexpected leap:
- Spurs → Manu
- Warriors → Draymond
- Thunder → Maybe it’s Ajay Mitchell
This matters more than people think.
Because if Thunder can pull elite production from everywhere in the rotation, then depth stops being a luxury…
It becomes a weapon.
Can the Thunder Stay Healthy? That’s the Real Question
This part from @8scth is key:
“Will this team stay healthy?”
It’s the only thing stopping OKC from a legitimate historic run.
Chet has already had one major injury in his career.
J-Dub’s ligament scare is real.
SGA’s workload is massive (even if he sits the 4th).
And injuries can derail young teams faster than anything.
But here’s the twist:
OKC is deep enough that even injuries haven’t slowed them down.
That’s the difference between a cute young team and a real contender.
Can OKC Beat the 73–9 Warriors?
This take from @8scth is wild…
But is it wrong?
Let’s compare:
2016 Warriors
- Experience
- Shooting
- Elite spacing
- MVP Steph in his prime
- Revolutionizing the league
2026 Thunder
- Younger
- FASTER
- Longer
- Better defensively
- More depth
- More lineup versatility
- A top-3 player in SGA
- A unicorn in Chet
- A connector in J-Dub
- A breakout 6MOY in Ajay
- The best coaching staff in the NBA
This might actually be the most complete young team we’ve seen since the 2014 Spurs.
If they stay healthy…
If the chemistry keeps stacking…
If Shai continues being the best closer he barely needs to be…
A 70-win season isn’t impossible.
And 73-9 isn’t insane anymore.
OKC isn’t just the future.
They might already be a historic present.
Big shoutout to @8scth (🔗 https://x.com/8scth) for the collab and the fire take.
We might be looking at the next dynasty forming in real time.
