Turnover Ratio: The Key to Oklahoma City's Early-Season Success

The Oklahoma City Thunder has been highly adept at forcing a great amount of turnovers while limiting the amount it commits—and that's paying huge dividends for the team thus far this season.

Dec 26, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell (25) fight for the ball in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

This year's rendition of the Oklahoma City Thunder does a lot of things that can create a successful outcome for this team at the end of the season. That's been fully on display through 29 games, and very much so in the team's most recent win versus the Indiana Pacers.

One of those things come in the form of generating a plethora of turnovers by the other team. It's not often you see Oklahoma City cause less than 10 turnovers on a given night, as the team logs an average of 11.9 steals alone per game—that was consistent in the victory against the Pacers, where the Thunder forced 11 turnovers to only three of its own.

That ratio has been the key to so many extra possessions and fast break opportunities this season. Oklahoma City ranks atop the league in opponent turnover percentage at 18.8%, with the next best team in the league coming in at just 17.4%.

In every one of the Thunder's wins this season, the team has logged an over 20% opponent turnover rate, illuminating just how important the turnover disparity between Oklahoma City and its opponent actually is in determining the outcome of the game. Additionally, the Thunder hold the lowest amount of turnovers per game in the league at 11.6 per game, and leads the league with its aforementioned 11.9 steals per game.

Generating more steals than entire turnovers committed leaves so much room for error for other teams to stumble and turn the ball over on their own accord, which is another reason for Oklahoma City's league-best defensive rating of 103.3 on the year. And of course, is another reason for why the Thunder lead the league in points off turnovers at 22.8 per game.

All of these stats tell us one thing—that turnover disparity is likely the biggest hand at play for Oklahoma City's success thus far this season. It's not everything, but it is a gigantic factor as to how the Thunder have weathered many storms and came out unscathed just under 30 games into a very, very promising season.

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