The Oklahoma City Thunder has dominated the Western Conference since the start of the 2024-25 NBA season. They’re one of the teams with the highest expectations to win the championship, potentially. According to ESPN’s longtime analyst, Stephen A. Smith, the Thunder has no excuse not to end their incredible campaign with the Larry O’Brien trophy.
On Sunday, the topic of Oklahoma City being ready to win the title was brought up. The way Smith sees it, the team is ready because they have a talented leader in All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
“Because they’ve got a superstar in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, leading the league in scoring with over 32 a game and they’ve got a top-ranked defense,” Smith explained why the Thunder is ready to win the championship this season.
Smith explained how the Thunder is one of the top defensive teams in the NBA. SGA and his company are currently atop the league in defense. They’re also the No. 1 team when it comes to the most steals with 10.8 per game, the only squad averaging double-digits in that category.
Oklahoma City is also among the top five in blocks, averaging 5.6 blocks per game. The Thunder is the best team in preventing teams from taking advantage of fastbreak opportunities. With just 43.0 points allowed per game this season, they also boast the best defense in the paint.
Because of this, Smith believes the Thunder has no excuse not to win the title.
“All of those statistic that I just dropped, number one in every single category, there’s no excuse for them not to win, that much I can say.”
.@stephenasmith says "there's no excuse for [the Thunder] not to win" the NBA championship 😯 pic.twitter.com/dnVqSdwbEi
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 2, 2025
The Thunder could end the regular season as the top team in the West, which gives them an advantage in the post-season.
The Oklahoma City Thunder could finish with the best home record in franchise history
The Oklahoma City Thunder has done a special job in making things work this season, which is how they’ve maintained their dominance. This season, the team has captured a 48-11 record so far and could improve before the season ends.
On their way to the playoffs, they have the chance to set a franchise home record. The best they’ve had was 34-7 during the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons. So far, they’ve secured a 25-4 record at the Paycom Center. The team has 12 home games left and needs to have at least a 10-2 record or better.
However, it won’t be easy as OKC will play against some of the top teams, mostly from the Western Conference, before the season ends.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
