Brian Windhorst Names OKC Thunder's Offense as Top 3 in NBA

The Oklahoma City Thunder is expected to compete for a championship once again, and its high-powered offense should be a catalyst for that.

Oct 9, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) shoots over Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Just like last season, the Oklahoma City Thunder aims to be one of the NBA's highest-performing offenses as it searches for continued playoff success.

Oklahoma City had the third-best offensive rating in its 2023-24 campaign, finishing with a 118.3 offensive rating — only behind the Boston Celtics (122.2) and the Indiana Pacers (120.5). With the personnel of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren amongst others, that wasn't exactly a surprise.

What separates the Thunder offense from the rest of the league is its versatility. It has players that can impact the game from anywhere, whether it be through inside the paint, 3-point shooting or playmaking. Combining quality production in all areas made for a dominant offensive group, that should only improve with the acquisition of Alex Caruso to its core.

Brian Windhorst of ESPN has bought into the hype surrounding Oklahoma City, listing it as the No. 3 offense heading into the 2024-25 season.

.@WindhorstESPN's top offenses in the NBA 👀

1. Celtics
2. Pacers
3. Thunder
4. Mavericks
5. Suns pic.twitter.com/BvXtuVSSid

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 14, 2024

The Thunder, according to Windhorst, will be the top offense in the Western Conference this season. It proved how versatile and efficient it could be last year — far sooner than most people expected — but with another season of growth together, the chemistry should allow for even better offense.

Of course, without the MVP-level production of Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City would be hard-pressed to finish in the top of three of NBA offenses. His ability to score in the paint and mid-range is nearly unparalleled across the league, yet he can still make strides in scoring from behind the arc.

Coming off a year averaging 30.1 points per game, there still being room for improvement in the 26-year-old's game is scary for the rest of the NBA, not to mention the stacked group of weapons behind him.

The first look at the Thunder's newly energized offense is coming around the corner, when it faces the Denver Nuggets at 9 p.m. CT on Thursday, Oct. 24.

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