Thunder Mailbag: The Best Start in Oklahoma City History

Answering the three best questions submitted to this week’s mailbag.

Nov 2, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) passes against the LA Clippers during the second half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images / Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

With a 6-0 start to the 2024-25 campaign, the Oklahoma City Thunder have gotten off to the best start in franchise history. While the Thunder's schedule hasn't included the most difficult teams thus far, OKC has already played two back-to-back scenarios and has primarily been on the road.

Even with the perfect record, Oklahoma City is still struggling on the offensive end. It's been the defense that has carried this team in the majority of wins to this point. Once both sides of the court start clicking for the Thunder, this will be a tough group to defeat.

Let’s answer the three best questions that were submitted for this week’s mailbag:

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What Do You Think Will Be OKC’s Longest Win Streak This Season?

In the 2023-24 campaign when the Thunder won 57 games, the longest streak was just six. Obviously, at 6-0, Oklahoma City has already matched that. This is one of those questions that’s nearly impossible to predict, but I’ll say that the Thunder has an eight-game winning streak this season, whether that’s a continuation of the current streak or another later in the season. 

Is Ousmane Dieng’s Success Thus Far Sustainable? If So, Does He Stay in the Rotation Upon Isaiah Hartenstein’s Return?

To the surprise of many — including myself — Ousmane Dieng has been a positive piece of the regular rotation for the Thunder and has already logged 88 minutes in just six games. He’s fourth on the team in BPM (1.6) and has provided very important minutes as a reserve in the frontcourt. Is that sustainable? I don’t think he’ll finish the season as a top-five impact player on this in nearly any statistical category, but I do buy him continuing to be a helpful player in spot situations — even after Isaiah Hartenstein returns to the rotation. But Dieng's positional role may look different when that happens. 

What Has Surprised You Most This Season?

As it relates to Oklahoma City, it’s been two things. The first is the emergence of Ajayi Mitchell early on. Of course, his role could fade as we get closer to the start of the G League season, but he’s actually been a rotational piece thus far. He was the first player off the bench against the LA Clippers on Saturday night. The second has been Jalen Williams’ early struggles offensively. I have zero concern with this longer term, but his efficiency through six games — especially when he’s operating as the primary option — has been down. Luckily, he’s getting to his spots and getting good shots, they just aren’t falling yet. 

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Note: Questions may be paraphrased in order to group or aggregate similar submissions.

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