The Oklahoma City Thunder have the most complete roster in the Western Conference.
From top to bottom, at least 12 players can play quality minutes, and they have the reigning coach of the year, Mark Daigneault.
They have a stellar Big Three
The Thunder have a great young trio with an MVP-favorite in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a candidate for DPOY in Chet Holmgren, and a stellar third option in Jalen Williams. Yet, these three are just getting better.
Gilgeous-Alexander is coming off a season where he finished second in MVP voting, averaging 30.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 6.2 assists with elite efficiency.
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Gilgeous-Alexander is ready to win the MVP Award this season.
Holmgren is making a leap. After finishing second in ROTY voting last season, he has improved in every way.
Through four games, Holmgren is averaging 22.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists, shooting 56%. He is also averaging a league-leading 3.5 blocks a game, putting his name in early DPOY consideration.
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OKC’s Third Option
An elite third option is necessary for a championship team in the NBA. While looking through history, every champion has had a good-to-great third option.
Jalen Williams is a perfect player in this Thunder system. Furthermore, he can play every position on the court when asked. He placed fourth in Most Improved voting last year.
Although he has started slow from three, Williams has visually improved in multiple facets of his game this year. He is a better playmaker.
Their depth is incredible
The only team in the NBA whose depth compares to the Thunder is the reigning champion Boston Celtics. Boston, being in the East, is the only team currently that would beat a fully healthy Thunder roster.
The Thunder have used three different starting lineups in three games this season. This is just a testament to how great the depth of the team is.
https://twitter.com/ThunderLead/status/1850668206622486585
With elite perimeter defenders like Luguentz Dort, Cason Wallace, and the newly added Alex Caruso, opposing stars have no room to breathe.
Dort, on the other hand, can still shoot as well.
The Caruso trade was just one of the many incredible offseason moves for the Thunder.
They signed the currently injured Isaiah Hartenstein to a three-year deal this offseason, who will make the rotation even better. Additionally, they signed Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins to new deals.
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Wiggins has been incredible so far this year, averaging 9.0 points on 70.0% shooting. He also signed a shoe deal with Under Armour at the start of the season. The man who saved basketball adds another legend in his chapter.
They have an elite defense
From top to bottom, the Thunder have defensive aces at every position. At least six players could contend for an All-Defensive Team spot.
Superstar guard Gilgeous-Alexander is an elite defender in his own right, averaging at least 1.5 steals a game each of the last three seasons, including this year. Last season, he ranked seventh in DPOY voting.
https://twitter.com/okcamars/status/1850698795971236071
Throughout his career, Dort had been consistently the only player on the Thunder that guarded the other team’s star. With Caruso, this is different. Now Dort, Caruso, and second-year Wallace can take turns on the challenging tasks on the other teams, and even the second option can enter the “Dorture Chamber” as well.
So far this season, they have held star guards Jamal Murray, Zach LaVine, and Trae Young and future phenom Victor Wembanyama to their worst showings yet this year.
Elite guard defense requires elite post-defense, and Chet Holmgren does exactly that. He leads the league in blocks per game and his impact goes beyond the statsheet.
His defensive presence forces multiple passouts on drives when, with a normal center in the paint, the attacker could easily take a layup in their situations. The only player with better odds to win DPOY than him is Victor Wembanyama.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are the clear favorites to win the Western Conference.
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