The Oklahoma City Thunder are delivering one of the most overwhelming, complete starts to a season in modern NBA history. Through injuries, rest nights, and fluctuating rotations, they’ve maintained the league’s best record at 23-1, joining only the 2016 Warriors and 1970 Knicks as the only teams to ever start this hot. A win tonight would tie the franchise record at 15 straight, and the numbers behind their rise tell the full story: this team is elite everywhere.
Why Are The Thunder SO Good?
Despite missing Lu Dort, Isaiah Hartenstein, Alex Caruso, Isaiah Joe, Nikola Topic, and Thomas Sorber, and now Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dealing with elbow swelling, OKC has stayed 1st in the West, 1st in the NBA, and 1st in their division. Their advanced metrics only make the dominance scarier. They’re 2nd in points per game (123) while holding opponents to an NBA-low 106.9. They control pace, manage possessions, and suffocate opposing offenses with top-tier defensive discipline: 1st in field goal percentage allowed (42.8%), 2nd in blocks allowed, 2nd in assists allowed, and 1st in holding teams to 54.8% true shooting.
Even their weaknesses only prove how unstoppable they’ve been. They’re 29th in offensive rebounds, yet 1st in total defensive rebounds, and despite being only 11th in made threes, they still rank 3rd in true shooting (61.6%), powered by efficiency everywhere else. They commit just 12.6 turnovers per game (2nd fewest) while forcing 17.8 (most in the NBA), a trademark of title teams.
Through it all, the Thunder have seven players averaging double digits and at least one steal per game, a balance rarely seen across the league. The engine of the machine remains Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is playing at an MVP level again: 32.8 PTS, 4.7 REB, 6.4 AST, 55.6% FG, 44.3% 3PT, 88.1% FT, and he leads the NBA in 13 major statistical categories, including total points, win shares, and free throws. He’s scored 20+ in every single game and is pacing toward the most 20-point games in league history.
Alongside him, Chet Holmgren posts 18.6 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 1.5 BPG, placing him firmly in the Defensive Player of the Year race. Jalen Williams, finally healthy after wrist surgery, adds 17.8 PTS, 5.2 REB, 6.4 AST, playing some of the cleanest two-way basketball of any young forward. Behind them, Ajay Mitchell (14.4), Aaron Wiggins (13.8), Isaiah Joe (12.9), and Hartenstein (12.2 and 10.7 rebounds) form a rotation with no weak links.
This dominance didn’t happen overnight, it was built through extensions and long-term planning. OKC has locked in its core with over $822 million in long-term deals: SGA at $285M, Jalen Williams at $287M, Chet Holmgren at $250M, and high-value role players like Dort, Caruso, Joe, Wiggins, and Hartenstein secured for multiple seasons. This isn’t a hot start. It’s the beginning of a dynasty window.
The Thunder shoot efficiently, defend better than anyone, take care of the ball, force turnovers, and win every possession game imaginable. If this team stays healthy, there is no tactical, structural, or personnel advantage in the NBA strong enough to keep them from a championship. The truth is simple:
The only thing that can beat the Thunder… is the injury report, more than half of their roster is currently injured or is battling through injuries, but every time we count them out, they come out and start dominating once again, after a 23-1 start, is there any stopping this team?
Only the 2016 Warriors had a better start, and at this stage the NBA has NO Answer for the future dynasty…
A healthy Thunder team is the NBA’s nightmare. And the future is locked in.