OKC Thunder In A League of Their Own

The Oklahoma City Thunder are rare. The Thunder are a juggernaut. Oklahoma City is in a league of its own.

At 24-1, the Oklahoma City Thunder are off to the best start in NBA history –– tied with the Golden State Warriors with the best start through 25 games. That Warriors bunch went on to win 73 games, breaking the NBA win record. Many believe Oklahoma City can do the same.

However, the way the OKC Thunder are dominating is different. It isn't just about their bread being buttered on the defensive end and with an isolation scoring monster that is superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander compared to the 3 pointers launched by the Warriors. But it is about the Thunder's total destruction of their opponents while lapping the league in important statistics.

So far this season, the Oklahoma City Thunder have spent 264 minutes and 17 seconds this season leading by 20 or more points. On the flip side, the one loss Bricktown Ballers have only trailed for 249 minutes and 53 seconds of game time through 25 games. Spending more minutes in garbage time than trailing even by a couple points is an impressive feat that attributes to the team's league-best net rating (+17.2) which would be an NBA record if it holds.

However, it goes beyond that. The gap between the Thunder's league high net rating and the second-best team (Houston Rockets, +10.3) is wider than the Minnesota Timberwolves who rank seventh.

This is in large part due to Oklahoma City's stellar defensive rating, another historic mark at 103.3. The Houston Rockets again sit in second place at 110.7. However, they are closer to the lowly Charlotte Hornets at 24 than they are to catching the Thunder at the top spot.

There is domination and being the best team in the NBA far and away, then there is what the Oklahoma City Thunder are doing. In a class of their own.

As the Thunder attempt to buck the recent trend of parity across the NBA, becoming the first back-to-back champions since the 2018 Golden State Warriors.

Oklahoma City will look to continue it's dominance on Saturday, against the San Antonio Spurs, during the NBA Cup Semi-Final contest in Vegas. The Thunder are attempting to get back to the NBA Cup championship for the second time in as many years, this time winning the event after falling to the Milwaukee Bucks a season ago.