The Oklahoma City Thunder keep stacking wins and redefining what a young contender can look like. Their 2024-25 title run was already historic, but their scorching 20–1 start this season has made the conversation shift from surprise champion to sustained powerhouse. And to Chet Holmgren, the reason for the Thunder’s rise isn’t complicated.
The NBA Player Guessing Game allows you to guess the NBA player based on clues about their team, division, height, jersey number, points, and experience.
Chet Holmgren Says OKC’s Youth Keeps Them Hungry for Success
Speaking to ESPN, Holmgren offered a blunt explanation for why this Thunder team feels different from typical champions.
“We don’t really have anybody on the team who is just sitting and reminiscing on what a great career they had,” he said. “I think everyone on the team is striving and chasing for more. The championship wasn’t the last check on their bucket list.”
For Holmgren, that mindset is the foundation of everything the Thunder is building. The 2025 champions don’t have aging vets winding down careers or ring-chasers focused on one last run. They have a roster full of players who see last season’s title as the first step, not the finish line.
That hunger has translated directly onto the court. After a 68–14 championship season in 2024–25, OKC opened 2025–26 with a dominant 20–1 record, holding the best mark in the West and looking far more like a dynasty forming than a team that just enjoyed one hot year.
OKC’s Youth Has Turned Into a Juggernaut
Oklahoma City’s rise is rooted in a perfect blend of elite talent, continuity, and development, all hitting at the same time.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, now 27, is in the center of his prime and playing at an MVP level. He’s the league’s most stable 30-a-night scorer and the Thunder’s late-game organizer, setting the tone for everything they do.
Around him, Holmgren (23) and Jalen Williams (24) have become two-way cornerstones. Holmgren pairs elite rim protection with floor spacing, while Williams continues to evolve into an efficient wing scorer and versatile defender.
Together, the trio already ranks among the best young big threes the NBA has ever seen. Their dominance isn’t a product of flash — it shows up in the numbers. The Thunder owns an offensive rating around 120, a top-five mark.
Their defensive rating, roughly 104.9, is the best in the league. Combine those and you get a massive net rating that reflects both overwhelming scoring power and one of the most suffocating defenses in basketball.
Coach Mark Daigneault’s system is the backbone. In place since 2020, he has built a scheme based on pace, spacing, physical defense, and relentless turnover pressure. The Thunder allow the lowest effective field goal percentage (50.5%) in the league and force the most turnovers, generating easy offense without overextending their stars.
It helps that this is one of the deepest rotations in the NBA. OKC can go 9–10 players deep without losing identity. Luguentz Dort’s defense, Isaiah Joe’s shooting, and Isaiah Hartenstein’s rebounding give them balance across every lineup combination. The depth allows them to play fast for 48 minutes and survive injuries without a significant drop-off.
Then there’s the long game, the part most teams can’t replicate. SGA, Holmgren, and Williams are all locked into max or supermax deals worth more than $800 million combined, keeping the core tied together into the next decade.
And even with all that talent, they’re still young enough that the improvement curve has years left. That’s why Holmgren’s comments resonate. GM Sam Presti has also refused the temptation to package his mountain of first-round picks for another star. Instead, he bet on development, and internal growth, and it’s paying off.