Should The Thunder Just Have One Main Focus Next Season?

With OKC having trouble against San Antonio last year, should the team put all its effort into beating the Spurs?

May 30, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) shoots against San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie (30) in the second quarter during game seven of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Should the Thunder’s focus be on just one team?

The Oklahoma City Thunder are inching closer to the beginning of a new season and another opportunity to run the table and claim an NBA Title. The squad enters this season as one of the favorites to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy, but it seems as if one team could get in the way. 

The Thunder ran into an issue with the San Antonio Spurs last season and never got past it. It first started in the regular season, when OKC went 1-4 against the Spurs, a stat that signifies the dominance San Antonio had. This dominance was halted in the postseason, but wasn’t diminished, as the Spurs would beat the Thunder 4-3 in the Western Conference Finals. 

This issue has become so prominent for the Thunder that a recent ESPN article said it was the biggest statistic of the season for Oklahoma City. The Thunder only won 33% of their games against the Spurs last year, which in turn ended their season. While ultimately it isn’t as important to win the regular-season bouts, this low percentage shows just how unprepared the Thunder were for San Antonio. 

The plain truth is that this can’t happen again if the Thunder want to win a title. While the Thunder shouldn’t disregard every other team in the league, OKC has shown that it doesn’t have a problem taking care of the 28 other teams. There could be some shakeup this year because of the hectic offseason, but none seem to be as threatening as the squad’s Western rival that has one of the best players in the world, Victor Wembanyama. 

Alongside Wembanyama, the Spurs have a core that has started to rival the Thunder’s, with Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper. This young core is mentioned in every debate when the best teams are brought up and is pinned right beside OKC. Just like the Thunder, this Spurs team doesn’t look to be falling off anytime soon and must be taken care of now. 

This could look like orchestrating different strategies and lineups for when OKC battles the Spurs, as they did in the Western Conference Finals. Now, with more knowledge and preparation this season, the Thunder could find a way to get the upper hand when the postseason rolls around. 

While the Thunder shouldn’t disregard every other team in the league, the squad knows that to get back to the NBA Finals, OKC must get past San Antonio.