OKC Thunder jumps to the fourth spot in the NBA Power Rankings.
Oklahoma City, having defeated Western Conference Finals contenders twice in a row, is ranked fourth by Schuhmann. The Thunder defeated the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday and went on to overcome the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday.
OKC is among the league’s youngest teams, yet they have managed to turn in a number of spectacular wins and maintain their competitiveness even when they lose. With 13-6 record thus far this year, Oklahoma City is excellent for second place in the Western Conference.
But OKC’s offensive and defensive balance is perhaps more stunning than the team’s record. The Thunder are currently conceding the ninth-fewest points in the league while scoring the fifth-most.
Boston, Minnesota, and Denver were ranked higher by Schuhmann than Oklahoma City, with Philadelphia completing the top five. The Thunder have not yet faced Boston this season, but OKC has already suffered defeats to the Nuggets and 76ers.
Aside from All-Star and All-NBA honoree Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, of course, one of the driving forces behind Oklahoma City’s success this season has been the rise of rookie sensation Chet Holmgren. Despite missing the whole previous season due to a foot injury, the former No. 2 overall choice has proven to be one of the team’s three greatest players in his 19 regular season games.
With a 53.1% field goal percentage and a 39.5% 3-point shooting percentage, Holmgren is averaging 17.6 points, eight rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.2 blocks per game.
Holmgren has previously taken charge of several games in OKC and assisted in leading the Thunder to victory. The Gonzaga product is most known for his game-winning three at the conclusion of regulation against the Golden State Warriors in November, when he scored 36 points.
Holmgren is shooting 39.5% from 3-point range and 53.1% from the field, averaging 17.6 points, eight rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.2 blocks per game.
Holmgren has previously taken charge of several games in OKC and assisted in leading the Thunder to victory. The Gonzaga product is most known for his game-winning three at the conclusion of regulation against the Golden State Warriors in November, when he scored 36 points.
Aside from Holmgren’s rise to prominence, Oklahoma City boasts one of the best 3-point and field goal percentages in the league, which has shown to be extremely effective when Gilgeous-Alexander is playing.
SGA, Holmgren, Jalen Williams, and the supporting cast of Oklahoma City may easily surpass their predicted 46-game victory total and guarantee a postseason berth if they all play at the same level as they did through the first 19 games of the season.
Nevertheless, OKC still has issues on the boards and in a few other key areas, so the youthful club will need to keep developing and learning how to overcome some of its flaws. But Oklahoma City is off to a scorching start in 2023 thus far.
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