’73-win record’ suddenly in danger as Thunder mirrors Warriors’ historic run

The Golden State Warriors felt the skepticism that followed their first NBA championship. Critics focused on injuries suffered by opponents and questioned whether that team was truly dominant. While few outright dismissed the title, it was never universally accepted that the Warriors were clearly the league’s best. That doubt lingered, and the Warriors heard all of it.

They were reminded often that they had fallen into a 2-1 hole against Memphis in the second round and that Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love played just one game combined in the Finals. Rather than ignore the noise, Golden State used it as motivation, unleashing a historic response the following season. The result was a 24-1 start and an NBA-record 73 wins in 2015-16.

Now, the Oklahoma City Thunder find themselves in a strikingly similar position. After pushing past Denver in seven games and benefitting from Tyrese Haliburton’s blown Achilles in Game 7 of the Finals, as noted in Michael Pina’s recent piece for The Ringer, some questioned whether Oklahoma City was truly the league’s best team. The Thunder have answered that question emphatically. There has been no championship hangover and no easing off the gas. Instead, they have punished nearly everyone in their path.

Their most recent statement came Wednesday night, when they handed the Phoenix Suns a 49-point loss in the NBA Cup quarterfinals, the worst defeat in Suns franchise history. That win pushed Oklahoma City’s record to 24-1, matching the early pace set by those Warriors teams that rewrote history.

The similarities extend beyond the win-loss column. Oklahoma City entered that game outscoring opponents by 15.9 points per 100 possessions, already flirting with an all-time mark. After dismantling Phoenix, that number climbed even higher. Through 25 games, the Thunder have a staggering plus-439 point differential, the largest ever at that stage of a season by a wide margin, per PBP Stats.

Last season, Oklahoma City posted the best net rating in NBA history at plus-12.9. This year, they have blown past their own standard, sitting at an almost absurd plus-17.5. They have spent an extraordinary portion of the season playing with massive leads, often putting games away before halftime.

At the center of it all is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has been nothing short of dominant. He leads the league in clutch points despite rarely needing to play full fourth quarters. Even more alarming for opponents, the Thunder continue to overwhelm teams even when he is off the floor.

With elite offense, historically great defense, and depth that cushions almost any setback, Oklahoma City is beginning to make the unthinkable feel realistic. Golden State’s once-untouchable benchmark no longer feels safe. The question is no longer whether the Thunder are great, but whether anyone can slow them down often enough to stop history from repeating itself.

The jewel that is concealed

There are a lot of these teams that are mainly homegrown and are fighting for championships, and one thing that they always have in common is the success of that late draft selection that nobody anticipated coming. Through the 35th overall selection, the Warriors were able to discover their long-lost treasure in the form of Draymond Green.

The Thunder went even farther in their pursuit of Lu Dort, who was not selected in the draft and signed a G-League contract with Oklahoma City in 2019. Green eventually became widely considered to be the most accomplished defender of his period. There is little doubt that Dort is one of the finest perimeter defenders in the league, even if he is not quite at that level.

Both of these types of money are the sort that end up sponsoring a large number of championship teams. In 2015, Green was selected to the first team of All-Defense for the first time, and the Warriors went on to win the championship. This season, Dort took the same approach. Despite the fact that the Pacers or the Knicks are still in the way, everything is looking good for Oklahoma City at this point.

The core is at or below 26 hours

The young players on the Warriors roster in 2015 were a major reason for the team’s excitement, as was the possibility of converting a single championship into numerous championships. Curry, Thompson, and Green were the three best players on Golden State and the three best scorers. They were all under 26 years old. Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams, and Holmgren are all on the Thunder, and that’s true for them too.

The Warriors were able to acquire Kevin Durant in 2016 in part because Thompson and Green were still on rookie contracts (and Curry was on one of the most team-friendly deals in the history of sports). Oklahoma City has the ability, primarily with an endless supply of draft capital, to acquire a major star for this current team as well, provided that it makes sense from the perspective of both fit and forecast.