Featured Image: Oklahoma City Thunder Center, Chet Holmgren (7), Dallas Mavericks forward, Cooper Flagg (32) and Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins (21) contest with each other during a Mavericks home game. (Photo Credit / Jerome Miron/Imagn Images)
The Oklahoma City Thunder currently sit comfortably at the top of the Western Conference with a frightening record of 23-1. They are currently on pace to beat the Golden State Warriors’ historical 2015-2016 record of 73-9. One of the most impressive features of the Thunders dominant start to the season is the fact they did this without the help of small forward Jalen Williams, who has only recently returned to the lineup.
The team currently holds a PPG differential of +15.5. If they keep that up and finish the season with it, it would be the greatest PPG differential in NBA history. Keep in mind, they already broke that record last year with +12.9. Point guard Shai-Gilgeous Alexander won the MVP last season and is in contention with fellow NBA stars Luka Doncic, point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, and Nikola Jokic, center for the Denver Nuggets, for the MVP title this year. He is second in PPG this season, averaging 32.8 PPG with an impressive FG% of 55.6%. While his playstyle of “foul-baiting” is certainly controversial, it gets the job done. Alexander has only played in 11 fourth quarters this season. This insane stat shows the sheer dominance of this team.
With stars like Alexander, Thunder shooting guard Alex Caruso, Williams and Thunder center Chet Holmgren, combined with their potential upcoming draft picks, the Thunder will control the Western Conference for years to come. But how did this debacle happen?
Oklahoma City Thunder point guard, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) at the free throw line. (Photo Credit / Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images)
For that, we must look back at a 2019 trade that sent Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers for SGA and a plethora of draft picks that turned into the super team we see before us. Arguably one of the most one-sided trades in NBA history, the Thunder received former Clippers forward Danilo Gallinari, Alexander and five first round draft picks. One of those five first round picks ended up as Williams. The Thunder also have one more pick in 2026 from the Clippers, who are likely to rank high in the lottery with their poor 6-18 record at the moment.
It does not stop there.
The Thunder have a Nuggets top five protected first-round pick in 2027 and 2029, a Dallas Mavericks first-round pick swap and several second-round picks secured from other teams. We are currently witnessing the arrival of the Thunder Dynasty. The Western Conference is already a powerhouse of a conference, with the Lakers and Nuggets tied for second with impressive records of 17-6. The Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs are not too far behind them in the standings.
The important thing to remember on the optimistic side is that this Thunder team is not invincible. The Nuggets managed to take them to Game 7 of the 2025 Western Semifinals, and the Indiana Pacers also managed to force a Game 7 in the 2025 NBA Finals. I mentioned the 2016 Warriors earlier, and it is key to remember they also seemed invincible that year as well, yet they blew a 3-1 series lead over future hall of famer forward Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. While it appears the Thunder will go back-to-back, anything can happen.
Alexander is likely to win the MVP award simply due to the Thunder’s dominance, despite the close competition between him, Jokic and Doncic. This, however, is an argument for another day.
Sources
https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/how-many-4th-quarters-has-sga-played-in-this-season
https://okcthunderwire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/thunder/2025/12/01/espn-nba-panicking-over-okc-owning-clippers-2026-first-round-pick/87555077007/
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2844398-report-paul-george-traded-to-clippers-for-danilo-gallinari-5-1st-round-picks
https://clipperholics.com/la-clippers-more-excruciating-details-nightmare-paul-george-trade-finalized
https://www.nba.com/news/okc-thunder-pursuit-73-wins-2025-26
