National Media Member Says OKC Thunder Have 'Historic Versatility'

Oklahoma City has had to overcome multiple injuries this season, but has still managed to stay near the top of the Western Conference.

Nov 25, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) pushes the ball up the court during the third quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. / Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder have had a strong start to the 2024-25 campaign, opening with a 13-4 record.

After winning 57 games last season and earning the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, observers expected OKC to have another solid year, especially considering the additions of Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein.

So far, though, the Thunder's roster has been riddled with injuries. Isaiah Hartenstein missed the first 15 games of the season, while Chet Holmgren is set to miss months with a hip injury.

Additionally, Jaylin Williams has yet to play this season, Kenrich WIlliams was hurt to start the year, Alex Caruso has missed time with an injuries and even Ousmane Dieng was recently sidelined with after suffering an injury.

Yet, despite missing the aforementioned players, the Thunder's depth and versatility has helped the team stay afloat as one of the NBA's best teams.

"Oklahoma City hasn't even played at full strength," Chris Herring wrote for ESPN. "The Thunder have simply tapped into a different strategy and found even more ways to smother opposing offenses."

Herring cites Mark Daigneault's willingness to play Jalen Williams at center and the Thunder's constant switching on defense as one of the "different strategies" he was reffering to.

As of Nov. 27, OKC's defensive rating is 103.6, good enough for No. 1 in the NBA. The Thunder are allowing 103.9 points per game, which the second-best mark in the league.

Herring also pointed to opponents' field goal percentages at the rim and Oklahoma City's deflection numbers to show that Oklahoma City has been one of the league's best defenses in recent memory.

"They play with an unusual amount of speed and are deflecting 22 passes per contest, more than any other team has in the 10-year tracking era. Between the club's youth, and the fact that this team is still jelling," Herring wrote. "There's no telling just how high the ceiling is for the Thunder. But they figure to be a defensive force for a long time to come."

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