2 weeks Ago By Brody Bitters
Every season, the NBA continuously releases their power rankings for each team, and earlier today they put out the first rankings for the 2024/25 season. While it is extremely early in the season, the Oklahoma City Thunder find themselves living up to all of the offseason hype. As of right now, the OKC Thunder are ranked as the second best team in basketball and only trailing the reigning champion Boston Celtics.
The other teams that placed within the top-five consist of the Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and the New York Knicks. The NBA has released its first Power Rankings of the season: 1) Celtics 2) Thunder 3) Lakers 4) Cavaliers 5) Knicks Thoughts? 👀 pic.twitter.
com/UTsBKaggO4 The OKC Thunder have started the season looking like an extremely polished and seasoned team, despite their tremendously young age. With a record of 3-0, the Thunder were able to dominate the league MVP in Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in their season opener while also taking care of two Eastern Conference foes in the Chicago Bulls and the Atlanta Hawks. All of this within a four day span with little to no rest.
Much of this success has come from the pairing of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren, as well as the entire team's defensive tenacity. As of this publication, Chet is tied for second in total rebounds and rebounds per game while SGA leads the league in steals and is second in steals per game (with Cason Wallace tied for fourth in steals per game and third in total steals). Whether it has been Alex Caruso and Lu Dort causing panic for their opponents and forcing turnovers or the elite paint protection from Chet as the sole center on the team with Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams out, the Thunder have caused other teams tons of problems and, of course, losses.
If OKC is able to keep up this type of intensity throughout the whole season while also staying healthy, there will be no reason why they cannot be the best team in the West or even the entire association. MORE THUNDER CONTENT: OKC Thunder vs. Atlanta Hawks recap: Fourth quarter excellence in home opener Biggest takeaways from OKC Thunder's season opener victory against Denver Nuggets OKC Thunder officially announce their 2024/25 NBA Cup court.
