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The Oklahoma City Thunder are having a truly delightful season but it’s not just a flash in the pan. This team is built to win and they can do it now.
While the Thunder have received a sensational campaign from rookie big man Chet Holmgren, it’s the depth of the roster that makes this roster such a thrilling team to watch.
We just saw Oklahoma City record one of the most efficient offensive performances in NBA history. But it wasn’t just a one-game sample size against the lowly Portland Trail Blazers.
The Thunder are currently shooting 50.3 percent from the field, 41.0 percent on 3-pointers and 86.7 percent on free throws. All three are either the best or tied for the best in the NBA.
Only two other teams in the league have slashed at 50-40-80 after 14 games, per Stathead: the 2017-18 Warriors (who won a title with Kevin Durant) and the 2018-19 Warriors (who won the West with KD).
That caliber of efficiency is likely unsustainable but it’s not just offense where the Thunder are playing well. In fact, Oklahoma City has the best net rating (8.5) in the Western Conference. They’re one of just four teams with a top-10 offense and a top-10 defense.
Meanwhile, to further add to the excitement, the eye test and the numbers say Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are two of the most clutch players in the league.
Holmgren, who is shooting 50-40-90 to start his professional career, is not only a frontrunner to win Rookie of the Year but could also make a case for the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year as well. The big leads the league in shots defended at the rim and is tied for the most total shots contested.
Gilgeous-Alexander, meanwhile, is a legitimate candidate to win MVP. According to dunksandthrees.com, he trails only Nikola Jokic for the most Estimated Wins (EW) so far this season.
He creates havoc on the defensive end of the floor, too, and ranks as one of the league leaders in deflections. These stops lead to easy scoring chances for the Thunder, who lead the league in points per game scored in transition.
Projections via Basketball-Reference have this team finishing the season as the No. 1 overall seed in the Western Conference. This model also gives OKC the second-highest odds (35.6 percent) of any team in the league to make the NBA Finals, trailing only the Celtics.
Although less bullish, ESPN’s Basketball Power Index (BPI) more modest predictions believe the Thunder will finish with one of the three best records in the West as well.
Even adjusted for luck, the Thunder have one of the best teams in the league this season. Based on what we’ve seen so far, it’s reasonable to expect that the team could make a run to appear in the Western Conference Finals.
The rivalry continues…
LeBron James and the Lakers played against Dillon Brooks and the Rockets on Sunday night. Once again, James was defended by Brooks throughought the game.
After a bucket from the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, he hit the “too small” celebration on Brooks.
“So far this season, Brooks is the leader in possessions spent guarding James. Unfortunately for the Rockets, though, the results are not exactly in the favor of Brooks.
James is currently 10-of-15 (66.6 percent) on 2-pointers when Brooks is credited as the primary defender against him this season, per NBA.com. James, however, has recorded three turnovers on these opportunities.
Either way, watching him use the “too small” celebration adds yet another moment in the ongoing saga between James and Brooks.”
You can watch exactly what happened during the possession but if one thing was clear, James’ teammate Anthony Davis absolutely loved what he saw.
Shootaround
— Saturday Night Live spoofed an unapologetic Draymond Green after Rudy Gobert chokehold
— A fan suffered an unfortunate injury during his half-court shot at a Lakers game
— HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto polled 35 media members and ranked each NBA arena, from best to worst
— Sixers Wire’s Ky Carlin examines four potential targets for Philadelphia