Why The OKC Thunder Are Ready To Compete For A Championship This Year
In one of the most highly anticipated matchups thus far on the season, the OKC Thunder got a statement victory over a fellow powerhouse in the Boston Celtics.
Many coming into the year expected a sizable leap from this young and ultra talented Thunder roster, but very few could have seen them having a strong argument for the best team in basketball by the new year. With the team massively exceeding expectations there still remains a feeling of hesitation on whether or not they can truly contend at the highest level, but I am all in on this roster and am here to tell you why you should be too.
One of the best ways to analyze a team past just stats and their record is looking at the quality of wins and how they stack up against other elite teams. OKC in just 32 games already has wins over Boston, Minnesota, Denver (x2), LAC, LAL, Phoenix, Golden State (x3), and Dallas. That is about as impressive as a list as you can get so early into the season. The Thunder also are 1 of only 3 teams to land in the top 5 both offensively and defensively, a near surefire equation to assess if a team is capable of winning a championship. Another major factor in winning a ring is having a top 5 player in the league, while there are some exceptions such as the ’04 Detroit Pistons, in large part you need someone on that level if you have serious championship aspirations. While in a league as talented as ever it may be difficult to see exactly where Shai Gilgeous-Alexander falls rankings wise, if you asked me the question “Can SGA be the best player on a championship roster” I would say yes with little hesitation. Shai’s ascension to the top of the league has truly been a treat to witness as everytime he seemingly hits what you would expect to be his ceiling as a player, he continues to noticeably improve. This year Gilgeous-Alexander has been putting forth an MVP campaign as one of the league’s best scorers while also taking major steps defensively being the associations leader in steals by nearly 1 per game. SGA’s dominance was out on full display last night as Boston threw nearly every look they could at him and even while having the ideal personnel to give perimeter scorers hell, Shai dropped an extremely efficient 36 points en route to their win. After the star player you must begin to evaluate the surrounding talent alongside him and OKC yet again shines in this facet. Chet Holmgren has been a true revelation as a rookie, displaying DPOY level play from day 1 and showing an unreal level of skill offensively for someone of his size. Chet is already a bonafide All-Star talent regardless of whether or not he gets voted in and I see no reason for his elite rim protection to not carry over to the playoffs when we have already seen him give many great players fits. Jalen Williams often shares the role as the second option in this offense with Holmgren and he has put on an excellent sophomore campaign so far. After already being very impactful as a rookie Williams has taken the necessary leap with creating for himself while still being a fantastic player off the ball. Shai, Chet, and Jalen are already a great core who projects to just get better by the game but due to their great ability to scout out talent in the draft and in trades they have been able to capitalize on finding great role players to surround the stars of the roster. Lu Dort continues to show his dedication to grow as a player as now he is the perfect 3 and D wing any roster would want, magically raising his outside shooting to over 40% in just one offseason. I also love the depth pieces they have in guys like Isaiah Joe and Cason Wallace who both play key roles as floor spacers and perimeter stoppers.
The main thing that holds me back from seeing them winning a championship even more than their overall lack of experience is that they still have Josh Giddey starting and playing 25 minutes a game. Outside of all the off court drama that continues to cloud over Giddey, on the court he is simply not a very good player. While Giddey did manage to have one of his career best games last night, he has largely stagnated as a player and has many of the same issues he did as a rookie. Being a non-threat as both a driver and shooter was something they could live with when the main focus was development but now with their aspirations shifting he is someone who I believe they should be urgent to move on from. What is so scary about OKC not only this year but for many years to come is that they could package someone like Giddey who I don’t see as part of their core and still get a star player due to how many picks they have accumulated over the years. The name that myself and many others have brought up is Lauri Markennen and if somehow they pulled off a deadline deal for him we are looking at a legitimate future dynasty. And it is a move that makes sense considering Utah should be selling and with them being in a long term rebuild they would likely focus on stacking up draft assets rather than looking for another star player in exchange for Lauri. Even if it doesn’t end up being Markennen, OKC will always be in contention for trading for the next star on the market and can do so without jeopardizing what they already have going on. OKC is already so good so just imagine if they can now cash in on their assets. The Thunder are ready to compete now and are still nowhere near their ceiling, a truly terrifying thought.
