The Oklahoma City Thunder are slowly starting to look like this generation’s Warriors dynasty. After one of the single most dominant seasons in NBA history last year, winning 68 games on their way to their first ring, seemingly of many to come. Now on track to a historic 76 wins this season, they only look like they’ve improved. Not only are the Thunder 24-2 and winning nearly every single game, but they have the largest margin of victory of any team in NBA history so far, winning each game by an average of SEVENTEEN POINTS. For comparison, in the Warriors’ 73-9 season, they only beat their opponents by an average of 11 points a night.
This team looks absolutely unbeatable. It’s a fast transition into a dynasty for a league who, in the last 6 years, had seven different champions, and saw 36% of the teams in the entire league make at least one Finals run in an era of unparalleled parity. It’s an incredibly strange era where one ring in the 90s is worth more than one in the 2020s, but three rings in the 2020s are worth more than three from the 90s.
However, now, it seems like we have one unquestionable favourite and 29 other teams trying to find any way to stop them. It’s incredibly hard for any team to beat the Thunder just once, never mind four times in seven games. However, today, we’ll be looking over some teams who may just do it.
Team 1: San Antonio Spurs
Record: 18-7
Key Player: Victor Wembanyama
What better to start this list than a team that actually beat the Thunder? The Thunder are on a 1-game losing run via a 2-point defeat to Wemby’s Spurs. This is a game that I can see turning into a genuine rivalry as time goes on. Not only do the Spurs have the best NBA draft prospect in 20 years, but also a genuine core around him. They acquired De’Aaron Fox at the deadline last year, and 2025 Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle, who looks like one of the most promising guards in the league, as well as the incredibly promising rookie Dylan Harper.
This team’s real problem is lack of experience, but there are a few ways that the Spurs could solve that issue. First, they have the assets to potentially make a trade for Giannis, should he ask to leave Milwaukee, creating a duo that genuinely may not be able to be stopped. Should this Spurs team gain experience, or make a trade for Giannis that sees them keep Harper and/or Castle, they could become a real problem for OKC.
Team 2: Los Angeles Lakers
Record: 18-7
Key Player: Luka Doncic
Maybe we could look at the last player to eliminate OKC from the playoffs. In 2024, a 1-seeded OKC fell in 6 games to Luka’s Mavs in what would end up being their last run with the Slovenian star. Now on the Lakers, and with an even better team, and even more driven, this team could be a problem. Now with a star Austin Reaves and a Lebron who still has it even in the month he turns 41.
While they don’t have the trade potential of a Spurs, these Lakers still have a deadly versatile big three that’ll be a massive problem for whoever it faces, OKC included. Luka is the only one who knows how to eliminate this Thunder team, and may have to use his knowledge once again come playoff season.
Team 3: Denver Nuggets
Record: 19-6
Key Player: Nikola Jokic
The Nuggets have been bona fide contenders for a while now. While they haven’t taken the league by storm quite how we saw in 2023, a team where we still see a Nikola Jokic in his prime can’t be counted out. Now second in the west, we’re looking like we’re seeing a good Jamal Murray at long last this year to compliment Jokic.
This is also the only team in the list that OKC ended up playing in last year’s championship run, and ended up being a thorn in the Thunder’s side, taking them to seven games in the second round. Now, with an improved Jamal Murray, perhaps the Nuggets can provide OKC with even more challenge this year.
Team 4: Detroit Pistons
Record: 21-5
Key Player: Cade Cunningham
Now getting to the Thunder’s potential finals opponents, the Pistons are the other conference leaders, and have made a breakout run this season. With the second-best record in the league, and on course for 66 wins, this isn’t a team to look down upon, despite their 28-game losing streak that they were embarking on two short years ago.
The rise of this team has shocked everyone, from winning just 14 games in 2024 to now being the favourite to get out of the east in just two seasons, without major roster changes. The main core of the roster is the same, Cade Cunningham still leads the team, and main pieces Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson, Isaiah Stewart, and Jaden Ivey have been on the team since that year or earlier. It’s a team that produces more than the sum of its parts, and is head and shoulders clear in the East, and may just cause the Thunder problems.
Those are the main teams who I believe will be able to challenge the OKC Thunder’s monopoly over the league this season. That being said, I still believe that, barring major injury, the Thunder are heavy, heavy favourites to defend their crown. However, we will still have to wait until playoff season to see how these teams perform and if the Thunder really can live up to all the expectations put on them. For now though, I’m Jim James, until next time.