Oklahoma City has gotten used to the view from the top, and that’s part of what made the last two regular seasons so valuable for the Thunder. If they want another championship run next season, they may be chasing that same edge again.
The Thunder have owned the West for stretches that felt nearly permanent, finishing with the league’s best record in both 2024-25 and 2025-26. Those 68-win and 64-win seasons gave Oklahoma City home-court advantage throughout the postseason and, just as important, the chance to operate with a cushion.
That cushion mattered. For most of the past two 82-game schedules, the Thunder sat at No. 1 in the West and often had the NBA’s best record overall.
Being in front can create pressure, but it also changes the math and the mindset. Oklahoma City wasn’t forced into desperation mode.
It could keep stacking wins while everyone else tried to catch up.
February last season showed exactly why that matters. Even with some mix of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell missing time during the month, the Thunder kept grinding out wins and stayed atop the West while the San Antonio Spurs pushed to close the gap.
If Oklahoma City had been the team trying to chase San Antonio, or even just sitting level with the Spurs, that stretch might have turned into a rough midseason wobble. Instead, the Thunder had enough breathing room to stay steady.
Next season may ask more of them early. Oklahoma City has offseason changes to absorb, and some first- and second-year players are expected to fight for rotation minutes. That opens the door to some early hiccups compared with what the Thunder have been able to do over the past couple of years.
The schedule doesn’t wait long to test that idea. The season opens for Oklahoma City in San Antonio, and that matchup could matter more than a typical October game.
The Spurs had the upper hand in the season series and eventually knocked the Thunder out in the conference finals, so this is not just another stop on the 82-game grind. It’s an early chance to see whether Oklahoma City can once again spend most of the year playing from ahead.
In Other News...
Thunder May Have Another West Problem Brewing Than Fans Realize
The Western Conference still looks top-heavy in Oklahoma Citys favor right now, but the bigger long-term threat may be the one building quietly in Utah. The Jazz have stacked real talent across the roster, mixing a top prospect in Darryn Peterson with established pieces such as Jaren Jackson Jr. and Lauri Markkanen, and their recent struggles have not erased the sense that there is something more substantial taking shape there.
For Thunder fans, the concern is less about the current standings than what the West might look like two seasons from now. Utah has the kind of depth and young upside that can turn a slow build into a fast leap, especially as several other Western teams have either flattened out or slipped backward. The comparison floating around is the kind of surprise rise San Antonio made last year, and if the Jazz keep this core intact, they could end up as the next team Oklahoma City has to worry about. [Read more 🡒]
Aday Mara Still Carries One Big Question For The Thunder
Aday Mara spent part of the weekend back around the Michigan program, where the mens basketball team was honored for winning the 2026 national championship during the schools football game against Oklahoma. Mara was a key piece of that title team before the Thunder took him with the No. 12 pick in the 2026 NBA draft, and his presence served as another reminder of how much Oklahoma City is betting on a young center who already knows what it takes to win on a big stage.
For the Thunder, the appeal is obvious. Mara gives them a paint-scoring and shot-blocking presence, but the rookie season will be about sharpening the edges of his game, especially his conditioning and shooting. He arrives with the kind of size and interior value that teams covet, yet the bigger question for Oklahoma City is how quickly those promising tools can turn into dependable NBA production. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Title Defense Now Hinges On One Growing Rotation Concern
Oklahoma Citys title defense has taken on a different look after a summer roster shakeup that sent Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins to the Atlanta Hawks and Isaiah Joe to the Detroit Pistons. The Thunder did bring in two rookies to help fill the gaps, but the broader picture is clear: this is no longer the same deep, interchangeable group that carried them through last season, and the margin for error is a little thinner heading into the grind of the year.
With only 14 players on the roster, the Thunder are expected to lean on a smaller rotation in upcoming games, which puts even more pressure on the remaining core to hold up over time. For a team trying to navigate high-stakes moments again, the concern is not just who is available on a given night, but whether the wear and tear from a tighter workload starts to show when possessions matter most. [Read more 🡒]