The Thunder positioned themselves as the NBA title favorite by destroying the Cavaliers, and they still have room for improvement
When the first two teams are in NBA Out of the box, it’s shaping up to be a highlight. Suffice it to say that Thursday’s game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers did not live up to its billing as OKC picked up a 134-114 win that wasn’t even close to that lopsided score.
It was one game. In January. About a week ago, the Cavaliers defeated the Thunder at home in one of the best regular season games you will ever see. On paper, all the Thunder did was give back on their home turf.
It seemed like more than that, but still, you can’t read too much into that score. However, as the latest point in Oklahoma City’s resume for the 2024-25 season, it is the latest reminder that the Thunder are fully prepared to win a title. nowIt should be considered preferable to do so.
Whether they will do so is another question. Who knows how the injuries will develop. The Western Conference is a sawmill. If the Celtics are healthy, they bring the same things to the table that OKC does. But the Thunder is ready. Don’t allow yourself to fall into the cliched “youth and inexperience” worry.
One playoff run was enough experience. The Thunder were just a few possessions away from reaching the conference finals last year, where I think they would have knocked off Minnesota. Even without a modicum of experience, this was an honest Finals team last season, and they’re even better this year.
Let’s start with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who will do it He is almost certain to win the MVP award If the season ended today. He is the best player and most reliable source of individual offensive creativity on any of the major teams – OKC, Boston, Cleveland. On Thursday, SGA had 40 points and eight assists in 29 minutes. He outscored the Cavaliers single-handedly in the first quarter (15-14) and didn’t even need to play in the fourth quarter.
Now let’s talk about defense. Last year’s Timberwolves were legitimately talked about as one of the best defensive teams ever. This year the Thunder are giving up nearly five fewer points per 100 possessions, which is a massive gap.
Oklahoma City is a turnover factory with its platoon of long-winged, athletic, physical and aggressive defenders. They forced the Cavs into 21 turnovers on Thursday, leading to 30 points and a 23-point margin in this column. They held Donovan Mitchell to eight points.
“It felt like seven bulls in there — not five-seven,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said of OKC’s defense after Thursday’s loss. “They were scratching and scratching and praying, in a good sense. They took us down with their speed and their athleticism. That’s their calling card, that’s their identity. They’ve done that to a lot of teams.”
During those last two matchups between OKC and Cleveland, in fact, Mitchell missed 25 of 31 shots. The Thunder have at least five guys who could make the life of a forward of Mitchell’s caliber hell: SGA, Jalen Williams, Kason Wallace, Lou Dort, and Alex Caruso. Aaron Wiggins is no picnic either. Behind it all, eventually, will be the second-best rim protector in the world in Chet Holmgren.
Did someone mention Holmgren? Indeed, the Thunder did this to Cleveland without Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, who is out with a calf injury. Playing without center against a team starting with Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley should be a death sentence on paper. But OKC can get small with guys capable of guarding above their weight class (Williams, Caruso) and causing all kinds of problems.
The two-way versatility and depth of this team is off the charts. In the regular season, that alone will take you a long way. When you also have the best possible player, well, you end up with what would be, if the season ended today, the best scoring differential in NBA history.
Historically, points difference has been a better indicator of tournament merit than anything else, as evidenced by the fact that only three teams in that list above failed to win the title.
Once again, it’s impossible to say whether the Thunder will become the fourth to fall short or the tenth to eclipse the historic points lead with the title. But as of January 16, 2025, the night they dismantled Cleveland, they are and deserve to be named title favorites.
