The Thunder are coming off their very first championship, hoping to become the next NBA dynasty and the first repeat champions since the Golden State Warriors in the 2018. One of the things that has served them well the last couple of years is taking the regular season seriously. They are one of the few teams that care about every game, rarely load-manage players, and switch up rotations to work on certain things.

Now that they have won it all, it will be easier to coast through the regular season and lose that hunger they had before. However, the regular season should still be important for OKC this year, if not more important than it ever has been. Let’s dive into specific reasons why this regular season will be more important than ever for the Thunder.

Why The Regular Season Should Still be Important for OKC
This is Where Teams Build Identities

The regular season is all about working on building your identity for the season. Do you want to be a fast-paced team or a slow-paced one? Do you want to have an offensive focus or a defensive focus? This is the time you build this identity and keep working on it throughout the season. Some teams typically roll out the same rotations consistently and the same schemes, using in-game adjustments to help them win. They just coast through the season, getting enough wins to make the playoffs and making sure everyone is healthy, like load-managing players.

This is the exact opposite of what the Thunder do; they try hard in every game they play. However, some games look messier than others, and that will happen during an 82-game season. Still, what is different for them is that they go into every contest with a strategy in place, in addition to the in-game adjustments. The Thunder might also change their rotations now and again to see different things. This way, they get data points on what works and doesn’t work for specific situations, and they are more prepared for opponents in the playoffs. They also won’t have to put together lineups on the fly in the postseason.

Home Court Advantage is Huge in the Playoffs

Another big reason the regular season should matter for the Thunder is the home-court advantage. This was huge for them in their title run as they went to two big-time Game 7’s that were both at home. The Thunder could have easily lost both if they were on the road.

In the playoffs, the Thunder were a completely different team at home than on the road. They shot better, scored more, and blew out more opponents. Furthermore, their home record in the playoffs was 11-2, with both losses coming from buzzer-beaters. Their road record, on the other hand, was 5-5. If the Thunder want to have home-court advantage again, they must take the regular season series so they can reclaim this huge advantage.

Avoiding Bad Habits

The third reason the Thunder should take the regular season seriously is to avoid creating bad habits. When you try to turn on cruise control, you can pick up bad habits as a team, such as turnovers, bad shot-making, and lazy defense. These things will happen throughout an 82-game slate, but the Thunder should limit them as much as possible. That way, when the playoffs come, they don’t give their opponents more advantages or make it easier for foes to force those bad habits.

The Thunder Have a Big Target on Their Back

Going into last season, the Thunder were viewed as still young and not a threat quite yet. Other teams and players didn’t take them seriously. However, now that they are defending champs, they are going to get everyone’s best shot. If they don’t keep their level of play up, the season could get a little messy.

Teams are more prepared to handle OKC’s aggressive play style, knowing with a whole year of game film to watch. Since the Thunder didn’t add anyone via free agency—aside from some rookies—they will be asking for a lot of internal growth from players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams to try and make up the difference.

The Last Word on the Regular Season’s Importance for the Thunder

Next season, the Thunder are going to experience new things for the very first time. They will start the season as defending champs, drawing every team’s best shot, and carrying the target on their back. However, the Thunder must stay true to their core values about the regular season.

If they take the 2025-26 campaign seriously and come in with the same hunger they had before they won a title, the Thunder could very well be repeat champions. However, if they don’t and just try and coast through it, like most championship teams do, then we could be looking at a new champion next year.

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