After one of the most dominating seasons in league history, it’s only fair to think the Oklahoma City Thunder are the team to beat as the reigning NBA champion. They’re the consensus favorite to be a rare repeat winner as they run it back with mostly the same roster.

But that doesn’t mean it’ll be a walk in the park for their second Larry O’Brien trophy. The Thunder should know that. Their playoff journey last year involved two Game 7s. It took every ounce of talent for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren to be the last team standing.

While the Thunder were busy celebrating and retaining their roster, the rest of the NBA made offseason moves with the hopes of beating OKC. The trendiest pick for the team that could do that has been the Denver Nuggets.

The Nuggets proved to be the Thunder’s biggest playoff foe last year. Three-time MVP winner Nikola Jokic headlined a top-heavy roster that only trusted about six players. That Round 2 series went the distance with back-and-forth punches.

Even though the Nuggets lost in the second round, the impression they made had them become the popular pick to upset the Thunder in the 2025-26 season. They also added some new rotation players who should enrich their depth with Cam Johnson, Jonas Valanciunas and Bruce Brown.

As the 2025-26 Opening Night gets closer, Jokic was asked about the Thunder being the favorite to win the NBA championship again. He hopes his veteran-tested Denver squad could sneak up on OKC and be the team that dethrones it.

“Hopefully we can be the silent — how do you say it? — The silent knight,” Jokic said. “Silent horse. Dark horse.”

It’ll be tough for the Nuggets to catch the Thunder off guard. Since they made their offseason moves, everybody has Denver as OKC’s biggest threat. Jokic, by himself, should make any NBA playoff series a competitive one. A shakeup in their rotation could help them have more options down the road.

The Thunder and Nuggets have grown their rivalry in recent years. Being in the same division ensures at least four matchups every season. Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic have headlined the last two MVP races. Now, they’re probably the two biggest title contenders this upcoming season. Even if a ginormous gap exists between OKC and the rest of the field.

Nikola Jokic today on OKC Thunder being considered heavy favorites to win the championship this year: “Hopefully we can be the silent — how do you say it? — the silent knight. Silent horse. Dark horse.”

— Bennett Durando (@BennettDurando) October 10, 2025