Oklahoma City Thunder Tie Warriors for Best-Ever Start
The Oklahoma City Thunder have cruised to a 24-1 start. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sits out many fourth quarters, and Jalen Williams has been hurt. It hasn't mattered. The Thunder just tied the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors for the best start in NBA history. They could set the wins record, and they're in a good position to win a second consecutive title.
Thunder tie record with scorching start to NBA season
The Oklahoma City Thunder are on fire right now, winning 24 of their first 25 games. It ties the best mark set by the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors, who famously won 73 games and set an NBA record that year. They also famously did not win the NBA Finals that year.
But for the Thunder, all the winning doesn't get old. "Winning is never boring. There was a time where some players on our team were getting blown out," forward Jalen Williams said via ESPN. "So I think a lot of guys have that in the back of their mind. Even me, my first year we weren't winning a ton -- we were solid, but I think I have that in the back of my mind. And you can't get bored with the process."
This pace is likely not going to continue. Injuries will happen, and teams will lose games they shouldn't. But even if they slip off the pace, they're still a major threat to win 73 or more games. They're on pace for 78 wins, but even slowing down will see them challenge for the record.
The way in which they're winning suggests that the record might be in danger, because the Thunder are absolutely dominating. They've outscored opponents by an average of 17.4 points in those 25 games. They're now on track to shatter the record they set last season of a plus-12.9 average point differential. They have only won by less than double digits eight times.
The dynasty has officially arrived
The Thunder are not just good right now. They have been good, and they will continue to be good. They won the NBA Finals last season, were in the Western Conference Finals the year before, and are 24-1 now. They're the heavy favorites to win again this season.
But that's not all. They're set up for the next decade thanks to the Paul George trade. They own a boatload of picks to help continue filling out a roster around Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams, all of whom are tied up for a long time.
In terms of first-round picks (not including second-round picks, which can also be helpful), here's what the Thunder own:
- 2026
- Los Angeles Clippers’ unprotected pick
- Utah Jazz’s top-8 protected pick
- Houston Rockets’ top-4 protected
- Philadelphia 76ers’ top-4 protected pick (also top-4 protected in 2027 if it doesn’t convey)
- 2027
- Pick swap with Clippers
- Nuggets’ top-5 protected pick (also top-5 protected in 2028 and 2029 if it doesn’t convey)
- Spurs’ top-16 protected pick (converts to two 2027 seconds if it doesn’t convey)
- 2028
- Pick swap with Dallas Mavericks
- 2029-2032
- Their own picks
They also own 13 second-round picks over that time, and they can package some of those for late first-round picks. The Clippers' 2026 pick is particularly tantalizing because currently, the Clippers have the third-worst record and a 12.4% chance at the top pick in a loaded draft. They're set up for basically the next five years and more.
They can use the picks to cycle through impactful, talented rookies (especially with how well GM Sam Presti drafts) when their existing players get too expensive. Even the second apron, which hampers teams' abilities to spend outside of core players, won't matter because they'll just let those players walk and replace them with cheap rookies.
