Even With The Postseason Loss, The Thunder Are Far From Being The Underdogs Next Season

OKC might not have repeated as champions, but they should be expected to be in the hunt again next year.

May 24, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) looks on in the first quarter against the San Antonio Spurs during game four of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder are very much still the team to beat. 

The Thunder didn’t exactly have the season they planned for, as they didn’t repeat as back-to-back champions. The San Antonio Spurs got in the way of this, beating Oklahoma City in the Western Conference Finals in seven long games. With the Spurs taking down OKC, a new champion will be crowned this year, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the Thunder won’t be the most dangerous team in the league next year. 

Yes, Oklahoma City was defeated, but it wasn’t necessarily a true matchup. Credit to San Antonio for a young team making it all the way to the finals, but OKC was definitely not at full strength. Neither Ajay Mitchell nor Jalen Williams was fully healthy during the series, which is a major drawback for the Thunder. 

Mitchell was having a breakout year and was the Thunder’s second leading scorer in the postseason, averaging 15.1 points per game. With him sidelined, OKC was without one of its primary ball handlers and allowed San Antonio’s defense to key more in on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander without more weapons around him. 

The same can be said about Jalen Williams, who wasn’t the same player who made an All-NBA Team last year. He had been battling injuries all year, and the playoffs were the same; at the end of the day, he just wasn’t fully healthy. 

This might seem like all talk and excuses, but at the end of the day, this Thunder squad has yet to be taken down when they are healthy. Now, with it in place for all of OKC’s key pieces to come back next year, the Thunder can not be seen as the underdogs when next season rolls around.

They, of course, have the reigning two-time MVP Gilgeous-Alexander to lead the team once again, and will be looking for him to have another big year. OKC hopes both Mitchell and Williams will be back to their healthy selves, and will also be hoping for continued improved play from players like Chet Holmgren. 

The Thunder is still a team littered with youth that has the ability to keep getting better game by game. Their potential is still untapped and could be way beyond even when they won the championship last season. 

At the end of the day, nobody knows what next season truly has in store, but one thing is for certain: you would be a fool to bet against a healthy Thunder squad.