The OKC Thunder have objectively not looked as polished on the hardwood as they did during their historic 2024-25 title run. From a decrease in long-range shooting success (37.4 to 34.8) to an uptick in personal fouls (19.9 to 21.1), Oklahoma City has undoubtedly taken a step back in a number of areas after returning from their incredibly short offseason.
Yet, in an astonishing turn of events, they still are by far producing like the best team in the league during these early stages of the 2025-26 season, and are actually on pace to finish off even better than last year, both from a record and advanced metrics standpoint.