OKC Thunder Mostly Healthy for First Time This Season

For the first time this year, Oklahoma City’s win-now core will take the court.

Feb 7, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA;Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) gestures towards forward Chet Holmgren (7) after a play against the Toronto Raptors during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Quite simply, the Oklahoma City Thunder are putting together an all-time resume this season.

They rank second in league at 44-10, only behind the East-best Cleveland Cavaliers. They have an MVP-frontrunner in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who's adjacent to only things Michael Jordan has done. And perhaps most importantly, they have the second-best net rating all time as it stands now, trailing only Jordan's 1995-96 Chicago Bulls.

All of that and more is made even more impressive by the fact the team has yet to avoid the injury bug.

OKC has largely been fueled by its All-Star duo in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams — who have only missed spot games here and there — and it’s all-time defense. But injuries have reared their head at various times this year.

Newcomers in Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso have both missed near-20 games, with the former missing a chunk at the beginning of the season due to a hand injury, and Caruso seeing a litany of smaller injuries throughout the season. 

Third-year center Chet Holmgren was the biggest blow, suffering a hip fracture just 10 games in, and only making his way back just before All-Star break. Additionally, rotation players have missed plenty of games here and there, and breakout rookie Ajay Mitchell suffered a toe injury that will sideline him for a minimum 10-to-12 weeks.

On Friday night versus the Jazz, though, the team is finally set to roll out its win-now core in full force. 

The only two players listed on the Thunder injury report for Utah are Mitchell and fellow rookie Nikola Topic, who suffered a season-ending knee injury prior to his drafting at No. 12. Mitchell came on as a much-needed ball-handler in the second unit for OKC, but is still only on the fringe of the win-now core, being a first-year player and having seen success in a handful of games.

Excluding the two newbies, the Thunder are healthy. 

Both Holmgren and Hartenstein will play in the front court while Dort, Wallace and Caruso attack the perimeter for the first time this season. Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams will look to continue their All-Star ways, and ancillary pieces like Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe and more will continue to find impact in the gaps.

For the first time this year, we’ll likely see the full-strength Thunder, or at least 97%, accounting for Mitchell.

The Jazz and Thunder tip off tonight at 8:30 p.m. CT in what should be an exciting matchup for OKC’s fans.

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