Jalen Williams explains differences between this year's and last year's OKC Thunder

OKC Thunder Wire

The Oklahoma City Thunder are in a similar position to last year. After clinching the first seed, they await the play-in tournament results to find their Round 1 opponent in the 2025 NBA playoffs.

Outside of Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso, the Thunder had most of the same roster. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren continue to headline their current championship window. That said, there are some key differences.

The Thunder didn't need any regular-season finale luck to get the first seed. Instead, they clinched it with three weeks left in the regular season. They clinched the first seed before anybody else in the West even clinched a playoff spot.

And…