The last NBA juggernaut was the 2017 Golden State Warriors . They blasted through the regular season to compile an impressive 67-15 record. With MVP award winners Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry , along with All-Stars Klay Thompson and Draymond Green , and Finals MVP Andre Iguodala leading the squad, they lost only one game in the postseason en route to capturing the championship.
As near terrifying as that team was for any team that faced off against them, the reigning champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder , may be even scarier. With a 23-1 win-loss record, many are already discussing the possibility of them breaking the Warriors' 73-9 mark, set in 2016.
While the Thunder's success has been awe-inspiring, what has caught Byron Scott 's eye is how quickly the team shifted its focus after winning it all in June to hunting down every team that steps in their way now.
Although there are three-quarters of the season still yet to be played, Scott still couldn't help but give the Thunder their flowers. Despite having a team with an average age of 25.6 years, they have shown maturity beyond their years in aspiring to play even better than their championship-winning season.
"Ridiculous. It is showing you exactly what OP just talked about — that these young teams and these young players, they look at the league a little bit differently. Because most of the time when you win a championship, you have a hangover. You don't get off to that type of start," Scott said .
"These guys win a championship and somehow during the summer they say, 'Hey man, let's do this again. So let's make sure we come ready.' And they're doing this without their second-best player," he added.
Jalen Williams has only played in five games so far this season, as his recovery from hand surgery bled into the beginning of the season. Yet even without him on the court, the team maintained its dominance, blowing out opponents by an average of 16.1 points.
To do all that without a man who averaged 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game and finished as a member of the All-Star, All-NBA, and All-Defensive Teams last season is just mind-blowing.
One title does not qualify a team as a dynasty, but the potential is certainly there for this young and talented squad — with an emphasis on youth.
"The scary thing about OKC is the fact that these guys are all 24, 25, 26 years old. And if they got this mindset, you're looking at probably the next dynasty in the NBA," Byron asserted. "OKC could be that next dynasty, where they're in the Finals the next five years or four out of five years, and they win three of them or four of them."
Olden Polynice chimed in, saying that what raises the ceiling for this OKC team is the fact that they all actually like one another, on and off the court. This is evident in postgame interviews, which usually feature Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams. Instead of hogging the spotlight, they prefer to have these interviews with their teammates around, which highlights their camaraderie.
"They have a mature mindset and they having fun. They like each other. Literally, they like each other. They like being around each other," Polynice said.
Talent is a must in any recipe that involves winning an NBA championship, but chemistry is just as crucial. This OKC team has both in abundance, which makes them difficult to beat, whether in the regular season or the playoffs.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Dec 9, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
