OKC Thunder Ranks Atop Latest ESPN NBA Power Rankings

Boasting a 43-9 record, the Oklahoma City Thunder has ranked atop ESPN's latest NBA power rankings once more, it was released on Wednesday morning.

The final rankings released before the NBA All-Star break this weekend, the Thunder has capped off the first half of its season significantly, garnering a six-game win streak before facing off against the Miami Heat on Wednesday night at home. As it stands, Oklahoma City holds the best record in the entire association with the best net rating in the league, and by far.

As arguably the most defensively adept team in the NBA, Oklahoma CIty relies on its disruption on tat end to assist in generating points in transition and through extra possessions. The Thunder hold the highest steal average in the league at 11.1 per game, also leading the league in defensive rating at 104.2 across just over 50 games on the year.

This ranking comes after outscoring its past three opponents by 61 points, and also outscoring its previous three opponents by a massive 94 points before that. This team is on a tear, and so are players like Aaron Wiggins and, of course, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Additionally, with Chet Holmgren's return, this team is on a direct upward trend ahead of the All-Star break.

It's quite an anomaly to see what one of the youngest teams in the NBA like Oklahoma CIty has been able to accomplish thus far, and seemingly without an equal in the Western Conference, the Thunder should be clear favorites to come out of the West in the postseason barring injury or an abrupt decline in play.

To get Cason Wallace back to health from a right shoulder strain, most likely right after the break, and potentially recovering Ajay Mitchell before the playoffs arrive, the Thunder should hopefully be at full force by April.

Fully healthy, it's unknown what this team can do. While only partially healthy for the majority of the season, it's still been dominant. Knowing this, there are little boundaries to placed on Oklahoma Cit as the team looks ahead to a fruitful second half of the season.

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