Stiles Points: OKC Thunder Not Facing Championship or Bust Season
![Jan 26, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) celebrates with guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during a break in the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images Jan 26, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) celebrates with guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during a break in the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3000,h_1687,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/inside_the_thunder/01jjrc64wq8bsnxwx351.jpg)
There is no doubt the Oklahoma City Thunder are living up to the preseason hype. As most projected the Thunder to win the Western Conference and a few were bold enough to peg them to win their first NBA championship, the 37-8 Thunder are right on track, through no shortage of adversity.
Despite Chet Holmgren missing 35 games and counting, Isaiah Hartenstein being in street clothes for 20 tilts and Alex Caruso being out 18 himself with a smattering of other injuries ranging from long-term to a couple of games here and there, the Thunder have proven to be a championship-caliber team.
Still, we have not seen this team log a single minute at full strength - or anything close to it. When Holmgren returns to the Thunder lineup it will be the first time he and Hartenstein share the floor in the regular season. That represents the biggest overhaul of this 57-win roster a year ago.
This team absolutely has what it takes to win a title. They should enjoy a deep playoff run that spans to the Western Conference Finals at minimum, if all goes according to plan.
As the wins rack up, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to play at an all-world level and role players step up in midst of massive absences to show off how great this roster is - the noise grows louder.
Everyone hears the mumblings. "Championship or bust!" they chant, "Are the Thunder frauds if they do not win it all this year?" they ponder, and that will only grow louder as the stakes get larger.
The Thunder have only lost eight games (nine if you count the Bucks NBA Cup Game) and after each one, the team has been met with think pieces regarding how the house of cards could come crumbling down as the lights get bright.
So what if it does?
If Oklahoma City was to put it all together and win a championship this season in their second-ever playoff run, they would be a historical anomaly. If everyone acknowledges that, how can they be held to the level of pressure that a season that ends shy of blue and orange confetti falling and Jalen Williams re-creating famed Kobe Bryant championship pictures being deemed a disappointment?
That is just frankly, unfair. The Thunder can both be good and young. The Thunder can be both title-worthy and "not ready." The Thunder can have what it takes to win and not pull it off this year. A season-ending short of a storybook is not an inditement on this core. Quite the opposite, it is another bookmark to show how close they are.
The last two teams that the NBA world has thrown dynastic chatter at are the Denver Nuggets and the Boston Celtics, the previous two NBA champions.
What did those teams do before winning a title?
Nikola Jokic's playoff journey began with a second-round exit (sound familiar?), conference finals loss, second-round bow out, first-round exit, NBA CHAMPIONSHIP and second-round ousting. It takes a long time to be able to win in this league.
How about the Boston Celtics? Who like the Thunder are led by two young stars one clearly better than the other. The Tatum-led Celtics path went: Conference Finals, second-round loss, conference finals, first-round exit, finals loss, conference finals and NBA CHAMPIONSHIP. With plenty of foolish "Can this team ever get over the hump? Should they break up the Jay's?" chatter along the way.
Yet, here the Green and White sit. Not being questioned for a step back in the regular season, viewed as the team that will waltz to the title and be in line to win many more for years to come. How quickly we forget prior to this coronation came criticism.
So if the Thunder fall short, they will be inundated with questions. The picture of Kevin Durant, James Harden and Russell Westbrook arm-in-arm after losing in Miami will be plastered all over social media with think pieces about this being Oklahoma City's best chance.
None of that matters, nor is true. Regardless of how the 2024-25 campaign ends, the Thunder will be title contenders again next year...and the year after that...and the year after that, and so on. They may just have to take some battle scares along the way - or perhaps, they are the anomaly.
Stiles Points
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's MVP case means as much to the rest of the NBA as it does for his personally.
- Cason Wallace was named an NBA Rising Star for the second straight season on Tuesday afternoon.
- The Latest NBA Mock Draft sees an interesting option for the OKC Thunder in the NBA Lottery.
- Social Media caught a great moment between the OKC Thunder superstar and a courtside fan.
Song of the Day: California Okie by Buck Owens
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