Oklahoma City has opened the floodgates to start the season, soaring to a 24-1 overall record. It’s one of the best starts in NBA history, and has put the Thunder in a good position to challenge the all-time NBA record for wins in a season. No matter who’s in the lineup, this Thunder team seems to be dominating.

Earlier this week, Mark Daigneault mentioned that Oklahoma City still has room to grow despite playing at a historic level. It almost doesn’t seem possible — this team doesn’t have any apparent holes and is nearly at full strength after a slight injury bug to begin the season.

But that injury bug could prove Daigneault’s point, even though the rotation is nearly fully intact by now. Jalen Williams, the team’s second scoring option, is back in the lineup after missing over a month of basketball. He has certainly affected the game in his return, but as he continues to find his stride, the Thunder could find that growth that the head coach mentioned.

“I don’t think he is at full capacity yet,” Daigneault said. “I don’t want to speak for him, but that’s what my eyes are telling me. I think he has room to go in terms of finding his rhythm and working himself back in.

“However, he is at full capacity as a competitor and as a team guy. That’s what’s been impressive. Similar to Chet last year, he is hopping on a moving train and a team that has played very well with him out, and he has come in and only been additive to that. The way he has competed and the way he has played inside the team, it’s allowed the other guys that have played well while he is out to continue to play at a high level.“

Williams has played in six games for the Thunder this season — all wins. He’s averaging 17.3 points, 6.2 assists, and 5.2 rebounds on 47.6% from the floor. He has struggled to find his 3-point shot early on, shooting just 28.6% from long range.

The Thunder weathered the storm with injuries, and Williams was the biggest name on the bench. But the question was never about players missing time, it was about developing chemistry once they returned to the lineup. Oklahoma City’s starting five hasn’t been healthy at the same time all season, and that’s chemistry needs to be developed before the postseason. Luckily, there’s still so much time left in the regular season.

Of course, this roster and rotation is nearly identical to last season’s. But it’s still different taking the court together, as so many players have improved individually. There’s still a lot that this team has to learn about each other.

As Williams continues to shake off the dust, Oklahoma City will continue to find that room for growth and improvement. He has been exactly what the Thunder have needed so far — ultra competitive and enhancing his teammates on the floor. Once he’s back to full strength, this operation could be nearly unstoppable.