OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – APRIL 19: Ajay Mitchell #25, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2, Cason Wallace #22, and Jaylin Williams #6 of the Oklahoma City Thunder celebrate after a made basket during the second half against the Phoenix Suns in Game One of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center on April 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)
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As they have steamrolled their opponents, the Oklahoma City Thunder lean on a luxury and an NBA first-world challenge.
The Thunder have too much talent.
“It’s a lot of choices,” OKC coach Mark Daigneault said. “It’s obviously a very good problem to have. I trust everybody.”
And why wouldn’t he? Daigneault usually boasts an 11-man rotation that features the NBA’s reigning MVP (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander), a Defensive Player of the Year runner up (Chet Holmgren) and three wing defenders (Lu Dort, Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace).
Daigneault has center Isaiah Hartenstein, a strong defender and passer to play with Holmgren in big lineups and without him in small ones. Daigneault has another player that can make clutch shots (Isaiah Joe). Daigneault has another player that can do everything (Ajay Mitchell). The Thunder even improved before the trade deadline by fleecing the Philadelphia 76ers for a strong rookie scorer (Jared McCain) only for a first-round pick (2026) and three second-round picks.
OKC has so much depth that it has absorbed Jalen Williams various injuries just fine. He made his first All-Star game and became a key two-way player during last season’s championship run only to miss a combined 49 games this season to heal his right wrist and right hamstring. Williams could play in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday after missing the past six playoff games with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain. Yet, the Thunder have shown they can manage Williams’ absences and possible limitations.
“That is the strength of this team,” Daigneault said. “When they see an adversity, they frame it the right way. They see it as a challenge. They get closer and they get more competitive.”
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – JUNE 22: Alex Caruso #9 and Isaiah Hartenstein #55 of the Oklahoma City Thunder celebrate as their team defeats the Indiana Pacers 103-91 in Game Seven of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center on June 22, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
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How the Thunder have become the NBA’s deepest team
To the detriment of the NBA’s 29 other teams, OKC’s competitiveness has ensured a No. 1 seed for a third consecutive season.
The Thunder dominate the league in several statistical categories with a top-ranked defensive rating (106.5) and defensive field-goal percentage (43.7%). Gilgeous-Alexander won his second consecutive regular-season MVP after ranking second in the NBA in points per game (31.1). Holmgren held opponents to a 44.9% clip on two-point shots, which the Thunder say ranks first among players that defended at least 400 shots. The Thunder boasted 31 different starting lineups to account for their depth and overlapping injuries.
To the Thunder’s benefit, they maximize their depth partly because the players actively root for each other even if it temporarily diminishes their depth-chart standing. In the Thunder’s Game 3 win over the Los Angeles Lakers of their second-round playoff matchup, Joe encouraged Daigneault to call plays for McCain. When Gilgeous stayed limited in that same game with foul trouble, he encouraged his teammates from the sideline. Daigneault considers those qualities as the team’s “secret sauce.” Amid Wiggins’ fluid role, Daigneault praised him for staying engaged during team huddles.
“They root for each other’s success,” Daigneault said. “They all have individual careers. They all have individual goals and ambitions. Yet, they are all willing to prioritize a team and prioritize one another. It’s a unique thing.”
It helps that the Thunder’s best player sets the tone.
“I want to get the best out of every player that I play with,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It doesn’t matter what that even looks like. It’s as simple as that. No matter who comes through the door, I try to help them succeed and excel in their career, whatever it is. I think I can help them. It’s just natural.”
So natural that the Thunder hardly nursed any championship hangover amid overlapping injuries. Beyond Williams’ absence, the Thunder also nursed overlapping limitations to Hartenstein (34), Caruso (25), Mitchell (24), Dort (14), Gilgeous-Alexander (13) and Joe (12). Despite those developments, OKC never experienced a three-game losing streak and only endured five two-game losing streaks. One of those streaks happened at the end of the season when the Thunder rested most of their rotation players after already securing the No. 1 seed.
“That’s what makes us dangerous,” Joe said. “We can throw so many people out there that can contribute, pretty much everybody. And everybody excels in their roles. That’s what gives us the edge. We can go 10, 11 or 13 sometimes deep. We can keep people on their toes.”
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – JUNE 22: Jalen Williams #8 of the Oklahoma City Thunder celebtates with teammates during the fourth quarter against the Indiana Pacers in Game Seven of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center on June 22, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
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How the Thunder develop their talent
The Thunder keep opponents on their toes for reasons beyond their talent. The Thunder have the right talent. They have built around Gilgeous-Alexander, a three-level scorer that has mastered producing at the rim, from the mid-range and at the free throw line. To maximize his strengths, the Thunder have surrounded Gilgeous-Alexander with strong outside shooting and pick-and-roll bigs. To minimize his weaknesses, the Thunder have surrounded Gilgeous-Alexander with elite perimeter defenders and rim protectors.
The Thunder operate in plug-and-play mode. They also develop that talent from within. OKC technically acquired Gilgeous-Alexander in a trade, but he arrived only after his rookie season. The Thunder also drafted smartly in the draft lottery (Holmgren, 2022), middle of the first round (Jalen Williams; 2022, Wallace; 2024) and in the second round (Aaron Wiggins; 2021, Mitchell; 2024). OKC has become shrewd in the open market with making opportunistic trades that yielded an intangibles leader (Caruso) and a young scorer (McCain). They carved out enough cap space to land another proven big (Hartenstein) and to enhance a G League player’s trajectory (Dort).
“We just try to see the best in guys and try to put a wind in their back, try to appreciate them for their strengths and work with them on their vulnerabilities,” Daigneault said. “We look at them as a work in progress, people that can work and grow and improve.”
Because of that, the Thunder likely will keep their championship window open for a while. Outside of Caruso, the Thunder’s core players are all under 30 years old. Hartenstein and Dort have team options next year, but Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Caruso remain under contract through the 2028-29 campaign. After games, many Thunder players reside by their lockers cracking jokes and catching up instead of fretting over roles and playing time.
“We organically get along as a group. That always helps,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “You really have fun being together and hanging out together. It’s like when you go play pickup with your friends. You have that feeling out there where you know what their tendencies are and things like that. That’s what it feels like on the basketball court.”
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/markmedina/2026/05/18/how-okc-thunder-have-maximized-their-depth/
