The Oklahoma City Thunder look poised to make history. Sitting at 30–7, the reigning NBA champions appear well on track to challenge for a second straight NBA title, something no team has accomplished since the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018.
However, not everyone around the league is buying into the Thunder as clear-cut title favorites.
Ex-NBA Guard Snubs OKC in Favor of Four Other Teams
On Gil’s Arena, former NBA guard Rashad McCants delivered a stunning take on whether Oklahoma City is the NBA’s best team right now.
“Houston, Spurs, Knicks, and the Pistons. I am not putting OKC over any of them.”
The comments, were echoed by Kenyon Martin Sr., who expressed skepticism about the Thunder’s dominance despite their elite record.
The stance raised eyebrows, especially given Oklahoma City’s continuity heading into the 2025–26 season. The Thunder have essentially brought back the same core roster, and with most of their key contributors still under 30 years old, there has been little reason to believe they would regress.
Thunder’s Recent Slump Raises Questions Despite Historic Start
Oklahoma City’s season began with historic promise. A 24–1 start sparked talk of a potential run at the NBA’s elusive 73-win record. That conversation has since cooled.
A 124–97 home loss to the Charlotte Hornets, who entered the game with a 12–23 record, dropped the Thunder to 30–7 and officially ended any realistic pursuit of history. The defeat marked Oklahoma City’s second straight loss, following a 108–105 defeat to the Phoenix Suns, sealed by a last-second Devin Booker three-pointer.
The Thunder have now gone 6–6 over their last 12 games, including three losses to the San Antonio Spurs. It’s their roughest stretch of basketball, record-wise, since the 2022–23 season, when they last missed the playoffs.
Still, Oklahoma City continues to receive recognition for its success. The 2024–25 Thunder were recently named a “Team of Legend” by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame, cementing their place among the greatest teams in state history.
The Thunder are slated for a matchup against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, Jan. 7. The Jazz sits at 13th spot in the league standings in the East with a 12-23 record. They are 2-8 in their last 10 games and are on a four game losing streak. OKC’s clash against the struggling Jazz offers a perfect opportunity to shed the recent slump, regroup and regain the winning momentum.
OKC has a proven star in SGA who is still delivering 20+ nights. Chet Holmgren (18.1 points per game), and Jalen Williams (17.2 points per game) are also delivering useful points. Therefore, whether they can find their groove again remains to be seen but counting them out of the title race don’t seem realistic.