The Oklahoma City Thunder are finally NBA champions after years of rebuilding, accumulating draft picks, and developing their roster. The young stars, led by guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and center Chet Holmgren, were able to deliver the franchise’s second-ever NBA title and their first in Oklahoma City. There have been many doubters who believed the Thunder could push past the plateau that held them up for years, especially when the series went to game seven against the Indiana Pacers. This Thunder team had all of the potential possible with the first-round talent the team has assembled. This young but experienced team might be one of the best single-season teams in the league and they have the potential to be even better.
It isn’t often that a team accounts for at least 80 in the regular season and postseason AND wins the NBA title. Oklahoma City accumulated 84 total wins this NBA season, including 68 wins in the regular season. The Thunder can honestly compare themselves to some of the top teams in league history. Their 84 wins tie for third all-time in total wins, along with the 1996-1997 Chicago Bulls. Only the 2015-2016 Golden State Warriors (88 wins) and the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls teams have more wins and a title.
SGA had a historic year in his seventh season. This season was his third year averaging over 30 points per game while playing elite defense. SGA averaged a league-high 32.7 points per game shooting a field-goal percentage of (51.9%) and 37.5% from the three-point arc. He also averaged 6.4 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks. He is the first player in NBA history to win league MVP, the scoring title, a conference title MVP and the Finals MVP.
Many components make the Thunder such an elite team. Lugentz Dort was named NBA All-Defensive first team while forward Jalen Williams was named to the second team. Holmgren and guard Alex Caruso were also key players who made the Thunder an elite defensive team.
The Thunder finished with the top defensive rating in the league (107.61), first in steals per game (10.3), first in field-goal percentage allowed (43.6%), first in shots made two feet or less (34.2%) and first in opponent efficiency (51.3%). This team has the argument that they are one of the most dominant close-range defenses in league history.
While the Thunder had one of the most dominant runs in league history; they could be even better. SGA will be 27 years old in mid-July and hasn’t even reached the prime of his athleticism. Holmgren is a dominant forward and center at only 23 years old. Williams is 24 years old and a first-time All-Star this season as he has the potential to play clutch basketball on both sides of the court. Caruso is 31 years old and is a great role player in many packages. Finally, center Isaiah Hartenstein is a top-half-of-the-league center at 27 years old. His presence on the court doesn’t conflict with Holmgren.
There are several contracts that the Thunder must look into and extend this off-season before they get too expensive. How the front office handles the extensions this off-season will determine how capable the team is of keeping their great depth and talent. For some players, it might be too early for them to determine if the role players can be stars on other teams.
The youth and talent are there for the Thunder, the biggest factor is the money. If the front office can keep the team together, this team can be dangerous for years while building young talent.
Oklahoma City’s run to be crowned champions wasn’t perfect or dominant, but very rarely is any team’s. It took the Thunder seven games to defeat the Denver Nuggets with an interim head coach in the Western Conference Semi-Finals and seven games against the Pacers. Overall, the Thunder know how to adjust and find ways to win. While they are young, the story of this Thunder team won’t be their age; it will be how SGA made a historic run and how elite they were defensively.
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