By GARRETT WELLBROCK
Tiger Media Network
The Oklahoma City Thunder were supposed to come back down to earth.
After their stunning championship run a year ago, the youngest team ever to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy, many thought regression was inevitable. Instead, 10 games into the 2025-26 season, the Thunder are 9-1, sitting atop the Western Conference and making it clear last year was only the beginning.
This team isn’t just winning. It’s dominating.
Through their first 10 games, Oklahoma City owns a staggering +13.7 net rating, which would be the best in NBA history if sustained. The Thunder lead the league in defensive rating and rank fourth in offensive efficiency, a blend of balance and precision few teams in any era have achieved.
The Thunder started the season 8-0, the best start in franchise history, and were the last undefeated team in the NBA — a feat accomplished despite key players missing significant time.
Isaiah Joe has missed five games, Chet Holmgren and Alex Caruso have each missed four, and Jalen Williams — their do-it-all wing and second-leading scorer last season — has yet to play a single minute.
And yet, OKC has still been the most complete team in basketball.
That’s not luck. That’s depth, culture, and an MVP-level superstar leading the charge.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been nothing short of spectacular, averaging more than 30 points per game while sitting out the entire fourth quarter in half of Oklahoma City’s wins. That’s how efficient and ruthless the Thunder have been. The game is often over before it even reaches clutch time.
SGA’s mastery of pace and poise sets the tone for everything this team does. His ability to slice defenses apart, hit midrange daggers and get to the line at will remains elite. But what separates the Thunder from the rest of the league isn’t just Shai, it’s how seamlessly everyone around him fits.
As teammate Isaiah Hartenstein put it: “What makes him really special as a superstar is he has no ego. There’s no ego involved. So for us it’s really easy to follow him. He puts in a lot of work, he puts the team first at all times, and I think that’s what makes him an amazing leader.”
Holmgren’s length and timing make him one of the NBA’s most impactful defenders already. Caruso, when healthy, gives them a perimeter stopper and veteran glue guy who makes every unit better. Joe’s shooting stretches defenses to the breaking point. And Williams’ return will only raise the offensive ceiling.
Then there’s the context, and the history. Only two teams in NBA history have started 7-0 in back-to-back seasons: the 1960’s Boston Celtics and the mid-1990’s Houston Rockets. Both won championships in each of those years.
Now, the Thunder have joined that company, and they’re the defending champs themselves.
This team has the perfect blend of continuity and hunger. They’ve been through the grind, learned how to close series and still carry the chip of being “too young” to stay on top.
Shai echoed that same mindset after a recent win.
“This team does a really good job of two things — being in the moment and also understanding the beginning of the season is just as important as the end of the season,” he said. “The difference in home court advantage in the playoffs could be one game and one win.”
So, yes, the numbers are historic. The depth is real. The defense is elite.
But more than anything, the Thunder play like a team that already knows who they are — and knows that the trophy still runs through Oklahoma City.
The NBA isn’t watching a fluke.
It’s watching the start of a dynasty.
This story was written as part of INF 322: Sports Writing, a course in the Department of Informatics at Fort Hays State University.