Oklahoma City's Offensive Efficiency Remains Staggering Early On

Oklahoma City still boasts a pesky, high-energy defense that Mark Daigneault built from day one. His team hustles hard and gives effort on every possession. Nothing has changed on that front.

But now, the Thunder has one of the most electrifying offenses in the NBA, and it's leading the team to victory. Led by an MVP candidate in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and the perfect cast of complimentary stars in Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, nobody has been able to slow down this offense.

After taking down the Jazz behind a 134-point firework show, the team's offensive stats on the season continue to rise. Monday night, the Thunder drilled 18 3-pointers and shot a blistering 52.1% from the floor, 47.4% from 3-point range and 94.1% from the free throw line.

At 120.4 points per game, Oklahoma City ranks fifth in the NBA. The Thunder ranks third in field goal percentage at 49.2% and first in 3-point percentage at 39.1%. The team is also first in the NBA in free throw percentage at 85.3%. A big part of the team's efficiency is how the Thunder maximizes possessions and takes care of the ball, committing the fifth fewest turnovers per game at 12.0. All in all, OKC's plus-minus of +7.5 ranks only behind the Celtics and the Sixers.

The defense has been good enough, and even better as of late. But the offensive leap from this young team has truly been special, and it's playing the Thunder into contention.

With a handful of options off the bench like Isaiah Joe and Kenrich Williams, there's no drop-off in the second unit. There are still a few wildcards too, that could unlock another gear for the Thunder. Ousmane Dieng looked full of potential in Monday night's win, and Vasijile Micic could see an uptick in minutes closer to the end of the season.

There's always the possibility of a trade with Oklahoma City's draft capital, but it's looking more and more like the Thunder has just what it needs already on the roster.

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