Even though it hasn’t even been two decades since the Oklahoma City Thunder arrived, the NBA champion has had a rich history of contenders. They’re one of the winningest teams since they relocated in 2008 and have been a perennial playoff squad.

The Thunder have had deep playoff runs every other season with an All-NBA representative in most of their years. They’ve had an unreal span of three MVP winners. Sam Presti has enjoyed ridiculous job longevity because of his ability to rebuild and fortify championship contenders.

As the Thunder prepare to enter their 18th season, Thunder Wire will conduct top-five positional rankings. Let’s look at shooting guard:

5. Alex Caruso

Thunder stint (2024-Present, 1-plus seasons): 7.1 PPG, 2.5 APG, 2.9 RPG, 44.6% shooting, 35.3% 3-point shooting

Still in the infancy stages of his stint, Caruso has already stamped his place in Thunder history. One season and one championship ring show that. The 31-year-old helped OKC grow up as he brought a pedigree and experience nobody else on the roster possessed. While his regular season was pedestrian, he stepped up in the playoffs. The two-time All-Defense Team member showed why he’s one of the best perimeter defenders in the league.

What Caruso did against Nikola Jokic in Game 7 will forever be remembered in OKC lore. That defensive performance alone has written him in this spot. When you win an NBA championship, one of the five most important players should definitely be highlighted in these all-time positional rankings.

4. Thabo Sefolosha

Thunder stint (2009-14, 6 seasons): 6.2 PPG, 1.5 APG, 4.1 RPG, 44.8% shooting, 35.3% 3-point shooting

A relic of the past, Sefolosha was perfect for his time. He’d take on the top perimeter assignment and hit his open looks. That’s all you needed from your role players next to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. He was a decent starter for six seasons on a title contender. While the Thunder kept knocking on the door, they never captured a Larry O’Brien trophy in the 2010s.

That said, Sefolosha was a solid 3-and-D starter. He made an All-Defensive Team in the 2009-10 season. While he probably shouldn’t have started ahead of James Harden, that’s more of a coaching mistake. He was still a good role player who was the first of a long lineage of defense-first starting shooting guards in OKC.

3. Andre Roberson

Thunder stint (2013-20, 6 seasons): 4.6 PPG, 0.9 APG, 4.0 RPG, 47.3% shooting, 25.3% 3-point shooting

Probably the best pure defender of the bunch, Roberson was a one-man machine at his apex. For as bad as he was offensively, he was as good defensively. Creating quite the paradox of an NBA player. He was a starter for several contenders. He played with Durant, Westbrook and Paul George. He only made one All-Defense Team in 2016-17, but played the part for several other seasons.

Even though a patellar tendon cut his career short, you have to be proud of how Roberson’s development played out. He never figured out the outside shooting. That proved to be detrimental in the playoffs and halfcourt offense. But the defense was too good to leave off the court.

2. Lu Dort

Thunder stint (2019-Present, 6-plus seasons): 12.2 PPG, 1.6 APG, 3.9 RPG, 40.8% shooting, 36% 3-point shooting

This is where there should be a tier break. The top two separate themselves from the rest. Dort has been one of OKC’s best success stories in franchise history. He’s slowly turned into the best of their 3-and-D bunch. The defense was always there for him. He took on Harden as a rookie in a playoff series. The one-on-one defense was always his calling card. He finally received national love for it this past season with his first All-Defense Team honor. He also finished fourth in Defensive Player of the Year.

Meanwhile, you can write a whole book about Dort’s journey on offense. From the early stages of the rebuild, he was given all the shots he could take. While fun, that could’ve formed some bad habits. Instead, he was self-aware enough to realize the Thunder are better off with him as a catch-and-shoot threat. Especially since he turned into a legitimate 40% outside shooter. That humility made it easy for everybody else to function. Now, he’s an NBA champion.

1. James Harden

Thunder stint (2009-12, 3 seasons): 12.7 PPG, 2.5 APG, 3.4 RPG, 44.4% shooting, 36.2% 3-point shooting

This might go down as the biggest what-if scenario in Thunder history. An NBA championship lessens the sting, but the shocking 2012 trade to the Houston Rockets completely altered the timeline and was one of the most impactful deals in league history. But let’s not talk about that. Instead, let’s focus on the future Hall-of-Famer’s three seasons in OKC. Because while his time was short, there were moments and accomplishments he helped create.

Harden helped the Thunder accelerate to an NBA Finals appearance. Paired with Durant and Westbrook, they formed one of the most promising trios the league has ever seen. To help stagger the offense, he was exclusively a bench player. That helped him win the 2011-12 Sixth Man of the Year award. But a disappointing 2012 NBA Finals previewed what turned out to be habitual playoff disappearances. As everybody knows, he went on to become one of the greatest scorers ever in Houston. But let’s not forget his humble beginnings in OKC.