The Oklahoma City Thunder have started their campaign in the best possible way, positioning themselves to finish first in the Western Conference for the third straight season. Their 9–1 start has validated the belief that they are a dynasty in the making, and what's even more dangerous is that they still appear to have another level to reach.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is once again in the thick of the MVP and scoring title discussions, among oddsmakers and on the KIA MVP ladder, and in an exclusive interview with "The New York Times'" Sam Amick, he said he believes the Thunder didn't play their best basketball on their way to last season's championship.
"Honestly speaking, I didn't like the way we won, if that makes sense… I didn't think we won an NBA championship playing our best basketball… We were definitely more dominant in the regular season than the postseason… And for me, as well as a player, I don't think I was as good in the postseason as I was in the regular season," Gilgeous-Alexander stressed .
Looking at the numbers, SGA isn't wrong. With a 68–14 record, OKC posted the seventh-best regular-season mark of all time. Their 13.1 net rating ranked second in NBA history, behind only Michael Jordan's 1995–96 Chicago Bulls , who posted a 13.4.
Their offensive rating of 120.4 points per 100 possessions was the fifth-best ever, excluding this season, according to StatMuse . Most impressive of all, they achieved all of this as the youngest team in the league.
However, once the playoffs arrived, the Thunder dropped seven games on their path to the title, as their net rating fell to 8.4, and their offensive rating dipped to 115.4, which was understandable given the brutal Western Conference battlefield they had to navigate.
Still, the Canadian guard is clearly convinced Mark Daigneault 's team could have maintained the same level of dominance in the postseason, both as a team and individually. Even though he averaged 29.9 points, 6.5 assists, and 5.3 rebounds on 46.2 percent shooting and 28.3 percent from deep, his efficiency was a step below his regular-season performance.
That is natural. In the playoffs, the game slows down, possessions shrink, half-court basketball becomes the norm and opponents are fully scouted across a seven-game series, making efficiency drops expected.
Regardless, the 2025 Finals MVP will have the chance to "clean it up" this season, as the Thunder look determined to defend their title. We've noted their 9–1 start, and that's without Jalen Williams , who hasn't played this season, as well as Chet Holmgren and Alex Caruso , who have each already missed three games. Alongside SGA, those were OKC's three most important players in last year's playoff run.
All of that led Blake Griffin to believe the OKC is head and shoulders above every other NBA team .
"I think right now, Oklahoma City is head and shoulders above..I mean, they have, I think, 95 percent of their team returning, and just by the sheer fact that they all are very young and they got better. They didn't really add anybody new, but they're all better players, you know, after a year-long experience. So, I think right now they're head and shoulders above the rest," said Griffin, adding it was still early in the season and teams were trying to figure out their way.
In the meantime, players like Ajay Mitchell and Aaron Wiggins have stepped up, clearly showing that this year's Thunder may have even more weapons available once the postseason arrives, a frightening prospect for the rest of the league.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Nov 9, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
