Does OKC Thunder Have Any Concerns Heading Into 2025-26?

For years, Oklahoma City was a gritty, young squad that could catch contenders sleeping and pull off a few improbably wins just by hustling and wanting it more. There was the infamous Draymond Green clip talking about playing in Oklahoma City on Tuesday nights, and many performances that echoed his sentiment of nobody truly taking the young Thunder team seriously.

And those claims, at the time, were probably warranted. Oklahoma City’s philosophy was installed — gritty, full of effort and hustle, and strong attention to detail — but the talent wasn’t quite there yet. Now, years later, the philosophy has remained ingrained, but Oklahoma City is one of the NBA’s most talented teams.

The Thunder’s style of play combined with the mix of elite talent is why Oklahoma City won its first ever NBA championship last season. It’s impossible for this Thunder team to sneak up on anyone anymore — this is the best basketball team in the world. Now that Oklahoma City is the team being hunted with a target on its back, will that impact the win-loss category?

In ESPN’s latest article detailing one under-the-radar concern for each contender, Tim McMahon thinks the Thunder’s maturity could be put to the test.

“A so-called championship hangover isn't much of a concern for a team that needed guidance to figure out how to pop the champagne bottles in the locker room after their title-clinching victory,” McMahon wrote. “But the Thunder, who just a few years ago were an under-the-radar franchise in the midst of a rapid rebuild, will have to deal with the pressure that follows a championship parade.

“There will be a target on their backs after a summer of discussion about a potential dynasty blooming in Bricktown. Oklahoma City is now the measuring stick for the rest of the league, meaning the Thunder will get the best shot from opponents on a nightly basis. That will be a test of what coach Mark Daigneault frequently refers to as the "uncommon maturity" of his young team.”

Could the prospect of having a target on their back really be a problem for this Thunder team, though? Wasn’t that the case all last season?

After making the play-in tournament in 2022-23, Oklahoma City was certainly on the come up. Everyone saw their potential on display and watched them on the biggest stage. They still saw teams not at full strength and resting players, but they managed to qualify for the postseason. A year later is when everything changed.

Although the 2023-24 team didn’t win the NBA Championship, that was certainly the season that everyone knew Oklahoma City was dead serious. There was no sneaking up on teams when you were the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference for the majority of the season. Sure, they battled narratives of being too young and inexperienced, but it didn’t take a genius to see how special this team could be.

After a season clinching the No. 1 seed in a loaded Western Conference, the Thunder absolutely had a target on their back. Playing against teams with aging stars looking to prove they still had the upper hand against the young guns, and other young and eager teams looking to make a name for themselves, everyone wanted to beat the Thunder.

At this point, it seems hard to imagine Oklahoma City being affected by having a target on its back. This has been the best team in the Western Conference for three straight seasons and is looking to repeat as champions. It’s also the same team that started preaching a 0-0 record and mentality just weeks after hoisting the Larry O’Brien.

Oklahoma City will continue dishing out its best effort night to night, and most nights, that’ll be better than the opponents best effort.