Inside The Thunder

Three OKC Thunder Players Among NBA Steals Leaders

After 30 games, three Oklahoma City defenders have earned top 10 positions among the NBA's leaders in the steals.

Randall Sweet

Nov 10, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) and forward Jalen Williams (8) talk during a time out against the Golden State Warriors during the second half at Paycom Center.
Nov 10, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) and forward Jalen Williams (8) talk during a time out against the Golden State Warriors during the second half at Paycom Center. / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
In this story:

The Oklahoma City Thunder still hold the top spot in the Western Conference 30 games into the 2024-25 campaign.

OKC boasts a 25-5 record, sitting four games ahead of the second place team in the Western Conference, the Memphis Grizzlies. The Cleveland Cavaliers are the only team in the NBA with a better record to start the season, sitting at 27-4.

Much of Oklahoma City's team success has come on the back of the group's defense, which is one of the best in the league, and according to some analysts, one of the best in recent memory. The Thunder's defense has been suffocating this season despite being without Chet Holmgren for the last 20 games.

While Isaiah Hartenstein has stepped up to take much of the defensive load that Holmgren once occupied, the Thunder's perimeter defenders have also been a nightmare for opposing offenses.

Shai GIlgeous-Alexander, Jalen WIlliams and Cason Wallace all sit among the top 10 in the NBA for steals per game.

Gilgeous-Alexander is tied with Tyrese Maxey for second place in the league with two steals per contest, while Williams and Wallace are tied with Kris Dunn, Franz Wagner, Nikola Jokic, Russell Westbrook and De'Aaron Fox at 1.7 steals per game.

Gilgeous-Alexander was also one of the NBA's leaders in the steals last season, avering two per contest in 2023-24.

Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams and Wallace's impressive statistical output on defense illustrates the Thunder's depth on that end of the court, as two-time All-Defense honoree Alex Caruso, Hartenstein and others are also versatile defenders who contribute to OKC's effort.

Nearly halfway through the season, Mark Daigneault's team has a 103.5 defensive rating, the best mark in the NBA. If the Thunder is able to continue its impressive performance, the team should have a shot to compete for the NBA title this summer.

Want to join the discussion? Like Thunder on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.

Published
Randall Sweet
RANDALL SWEET

Randall Sweet is a 2022 Oklahoma University graduate who has formerly written for the Norman Transcript and OU Daily. Randall also serves as the Communications Coordinator at Visit OKC.

Home/News