[Editor’s note: This story was originally published on Dec. 17 and has been updated.]
America’s NBA team is playing Wednesday night in Cleveland. I’m convinced the reason you don’t know them as America’s Team is because they haven’t been properly marketed. I just don’t see any other plausible reason.
I’m talking about the Oklahoma City Thunder. The same team that was somehow not selected among the 10 headliners to play on Christmas Day. The same team that was scheduled to be on national TV fewer times this season than the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Oklahoma City Thunder — winners of 15 straight games ahead of their highly anticipated showdown with the league-leading Cavaliers — should be an American sensation, yet it feels like they’re preposterously underexposed. While the Boston Celtics share many of the same homegrown juggernaut traits as OKC, they’ve occupied the national spotlight for years. This OKC team still seems under the radar.
This needs to change. The NBA should put every single one of their remaining games on national TV. Here are five reasons why:
1. They are really good at basketball. Historically good
The Thunder are 30-5 in the Western Conference which is like 35-0 in Eastern Conference currency. They have outscored opponents by 12.1 points every 100 possessions, which is the best net rating in the league, ahead of the Cavaliers’ 11.5 rating and almost two full points better than the defending champion Boston Celtics’ 10.4 figure.
But that doesn’t even give OKC its proper due.
To get a better idea of how good this OKC team is, we have to adjust for strength of schedule (i.e. they don’t get to play in the East). We can do that by looking at Simple Rating System (SRS), which accounts for opponent strength and can be found on Basketball Reference for every team dating back to 1946. The Thunder’s SRS stands at 12.06, which means they are 12 points better than the average team, widening their aforementioned lead on Boston, which sits at 9.45 because of Boston’s softer schedule. The team with the best record in the NBA, the Cavaliers, sits at 9.64.
Even with Chet Holmgren out for the majority of its games, OKC is lapping the competition. Through this prism, the distance between the Thunder and the Cavs is roughly the same as the Cavs and the Miami Heat, who are struggling to stay above .500.
But to fully understand how good this OKC team is, we can look at the number of teams who have finished a full season at a 12.06 SRS.
Here’s that list:
Oh, wait. Sorry. There isn’t a list.
If held for a full season, OKC would have the best SRS in NBA history. A whopping 23 of the Thunder’s 30 wins are by double-digits, which includes runaway wins over Boston, New York, Memphis, Houston (twice), Dallas, Denver, Phoenix and Orlando. Three of the Thunder’s five losses were one-possession games. To put it plainly, they are beating opponents so badly (and losing so sparingly) that they’re playing like the best regular-season team in NBA history.
But that’s not the only reason they should be featured on national TV more.
2. The NBA needs to invest in tomorrow
There will come a day when LeBron James and Stephen Curry aren’t playing in the NBA anymore. No one knows when that day will be, but we know this: The NBA is still all-in on the LeBron and Steph business. The 20-16 Lakers are slated to be on national TV an NBA-high 24 more times this season, tied with the Boston Celtics, while the Golden State Warriors, at 18-18, are tied for third with the Knicks at 21. Think about that. The top four marquee TV slots are dedicated to the defending champion, the biggest media market and two middle-of-the-pack West teams.
Unfortunately, the NBA has to figure out what the post-LeBron and post-Steph era looks like. As such, the Thunder should be at or near the top of the list — not tomorrow, now. Instead, they currently rank 10th in national TV games remaining (15) just behind Denver (19), Dallas (18), Milwaukee (17), Philadelphia (17) and Phoenix (17). Granted, the schedule-makers may have a fancy algorithm that programs an 82-game schedule for 30 teams and satisfies all the TV partners, but they don’t have a crystal ball. They can’t look into the future and predict with certainty how the season plays out.
But it’s not like the Thunder came out of nowhere this year. The Thunder were the West’s No. 1 seed last season with the second-youngest roster in the league! They weren’t just good; they had staying power. We’ve never seen a team this young and this good. They may not draw the largest TV ratings today, but it’d be wise to take a little hit on the audience size in the short-term and reap the long-term benefits of having American fans entrenched in Thunder vibes.
Speaking of vibes, let’s talk about the guy who was voted second in the MVP race last season.
3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is him
I mean, look at the guy. He wears sunglasses at night. He dons giant fur coats inside. I wish I could pull off half the fits he does (or just one). The NBA loves a news-conference fashion icon and SGA certainly delivers.
But it’s the basketball stuff. My god, the basketball stuff. The way he deftly uses speed and footwork to routinely butcher a five-man defense is sublime. The 26-year-old is averaging 31.3 points, 6.1 assists and 5.6 rebounds while shooting 58.9 percent on 2s, 36 percent on 3s and 88.8 percent on free throws. He’s once again among the league leaders in steals and a virtuoso in the open court.
The best way I can put it is this: SGA is at once the hot knife slicing through the stick of soft butter and also the stick of soft butter. If that makes sense.
And he’s always there. In an NBA beleaguered by stars missing games, he hasn’t missed a game yet this season. He’s a throwback and the future at the same time. Sometimes fans just need a star who shows up. He is him.
4. The Thunder play defense like there’s no tomorrow
A most common complaint about NBA basketball is that teams don’t play defense. A) That’s not true. B) If you believe that, then you clearly haven’t watched OKC.
I called them the OKC Dobermans on The Big Number last month for a reason. They get in your jersey and rip the ball away from opponents like it’s a sack of tennis balls. Of the top six players in steals per game this season, three of them play for the Thunder: Gilgeous-Alexander (2.0), Jalen Williams (1.8 steals) and Cason Wallace (1.8). Alex Caruso (1.9) would join them if he qualified for minutes. It’s not fair.
OKC opponents turn the ball over a league-high 18.2 times per game, two more than the next-highest defense. Put another way: In the same number of games, the Thunder have forced 167 more turnovers than the Milwaukee Bucks’ defense has.
The Thunder deeply understand the value of winning the turnover game. Through 35 games, they’re on pace to register 567 fewer turnovers than their opponents. The NBA record is 418, per Stathead tracking. Do you understand what I’m saying?
5. They are homegrown — and about to grow a whole lot more
If you’re not a fan of the player empowerment era where stars hop from one team to another, I get it. It might be unfamiliar and dizzying to keep up with. And guess what, do I have a team for you.
GM Sam Presti and the Thunder have put a premium on internal development. They drafted Chet Holmgren (2nd in 2022), Jalen Williams (12th in 2022) and Cason Wallace (10th in 2023). They traded for a 20-year-old Gilgeous-Alexander and paired him with an undrafted free agent named Lu Dort — the two have been chipping away at this since 2019-20 and fought through a 22-50 season together.
The team took a chance on a 29-year-old Mark Daigneault in 2014, naming him the head coach of its G League team. Six years later, he was promoted from within and eventually took over for Billy Donovan, becoming the second-youngest head coach in the NBA. Daigneault is now considered one of the league’s top coaches, winning Coach of the Year in 2023-24.
The organization’s biggest signing in free agency this summer, Isaiah Hartenstein, was a G League standout like Daigneault. After a successful stint with the Knicks, Hartenstein was rewarded with a three-year, $87 million contract in OKC, and it’s fitting and comical that a backup center is easily the biggest free-agent signing in franchise history.
The homegrown roster construction lends itself to some pretty wholesome moments. For instance, the OKC players insist on doing postgame interviews as a team, rather than featuring one individual. However, within the 48 minutes of game action, they let their play do the talking. They have six technical fouls as a team and one of them was on Dort kissing his three fingers after making a 3. Seriously.
Best of all, it still feels like we’re getting in early on the Thunder’s rise like it’s the second inning of a nine-inning game. They’re still the fourth-youngest team in the NBA, the Holmgren/Hartenstein combo hasn’t even played in the same game together and more elite draft picks are on the way. For instance, as a result of taking Al Horford’s contract back in 2020, the team owns Philadelphia’s top-six protected first-rounder in the upcoming draft. If that’s not enough, OKC can also move up to a second lottery pick with the LA Clippers’ swap rights (the Paul George trade keeps paying out in 2026, too).
There is no Right Way To Do It in sports, but the Thunder offer a blueprint for which other non-marquee teams can aspire. Inevitably, the team will get expensive when Holmgren and Williams’ extensions come due in 2026, but figuring out how to pay several All-Star-caliber players in two years is a good problem to have.
The Thunder don’t have to worry about that now. They have a matchup with the Cavaliers on Wednesday — which is, thankfully, on national TV.
Hello, para pengemar slot! pernahkah mendengar istilah “slot gacor”? jika belum, siap-siap jatuh cinta sama konsep ini. raja slot adalah mesin slots yang selalu kasih win. Yup, mesin-mesin ini bisa disebut adalah andalannya tuk membawa come back hasil. any way, gimana sih caranya nemuin slot demo yang tepat? Tenang Bro and Sis, kita bahas santai saja di tempat ini
Gaming tergaco waktu sekarang satu-satunya di Indonesia hanya di pasti menyediakan return terbaik
Daftar hanya di:
Informasi mengenai KING SLOT, Segera Daftar Bersama king selot terbaik dan terpercaya no satu di Indonesia. Boleh mendaftar melalui sini king slot serta memberikan hasil kembali yang paling tinggi saat sekarang ini hanyalah KING SLOT paling gacor, gilak dan gaco saat sekarang di Indonesia melalui program return tinggi di kingselot serta pg king slot
luna88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://luna88.biz/
magnum88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://magnum88.live/
mainslot888 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://mainslot888.biz/
margo88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://margo88.biz/
maung888 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://maung888.info/
menang88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://menang88.asia/
mitra777 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://mitra777.biz/
mitra777slot permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://mitra777slot.biz/
msislot88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://msislot88.com/
nonstop888 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://nonstop888.biz/
nonstop888slot permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://nonstop888slot.com/
oxwin777 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://oxwin777.net/
oxwin88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://oxwin88.com/
pahala88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://pahala88.biz/
pan88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://pan88.info/
paris777 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://paris777.asia/
paris777slot permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://paris777slot.biz/
perdana88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://perdana88.biz/
pesiar88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://pesiar88.org/
pesiarbet88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://pesiarbet88.biz/
pesiarbet88slot permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://pesiarbet88slot.net/
planet777slot permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://planet777slot.biz/
populer88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://populer88.info/
psg777 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://psg777.biz/
puas88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://puas88.com/
pulaujudi88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://pulaujudi88.info/
queen88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://queen88.biz/
quiz88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://quiz88.biz/
quiz88slot permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://quiz88slot.com/
ras77 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://ras77.biz/
ras77slot permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://ras77slot.info/
rolex888slot permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://rolex888slot.org/
rusiaslot888 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://rusiaslot888.com/
rute88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://rute88.info/
sabet88slot permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://sabet88slot.com/
sakti88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://sakti88.info/
sakti888 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://sakti888.biz/
sakti888slot permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://sakti888slot.info/
satria88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://satria88.asia/
sawit77 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://sawit77.net/
sayap88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://sayap88.biz/
sensasi77 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://sensasi77.biz/
sensasi77slot permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://sensasi77slot.info/
siap4d permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://siap4d.net/
sinar88slot permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://sinar88slot.info/
sugih88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://sugih88.org/
surga8888 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://surga8888.com/
surga888slot permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://surga888slot.biz/
surya88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://surya88.biz/
surya888 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://surya888.biz/
v888toto permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://v888toto.com/
vegas888slot permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://vegas888slot.asia/
venom88slot permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://venom88slot.org/
wis777 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://wis777.biz/
wis777slot permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://wis777slot.biz/
xuxu88.org permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://xuxu88.org/
zara88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://zara88.info/
zara88slot permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://zara88slot.net/
foya888 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://foya888.com/
dangdut88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://dangdut88.org/
polaris888 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://polaris888.info/
cuan88slot permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://cuan88slot.net/
cuan88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://cuan88.asia/
calon88slot permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://calon88slot.com/
calon88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://calon88.biz/
axiata88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://axiata88.org/
artis77 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://artis77.info/
artis77 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://artis77.biz/
gwin88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://gwin88.org/
santai88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://santai88.org/
dewanaga777 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://dewanaga777.biz/
dewi18 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://dewi18.com/
dewigg88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://dewigg88.com/
dewijoker88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://dewijoker88.asia/
dombatoto88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://dombatoto88.net/
dunia30 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://dunia30.com/
dunia88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://dunia88.biz/
erajp88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://erajp88.com/
fyrewin88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://fyrewin88.com/
gaca88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://gaca88.com/
gacha88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://gacha88.biz/
gacorbet999 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://gacorbet999.net/
gajah88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://gajah88.biz/
gemoyslot88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://gemoyslot88.net/
gencar88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://gencar88.net/
gocap88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://gocap88.biz/
gol888 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://gol888.org/
grandbet888 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://grandbet888.biz/
gudangslot777 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://gudangslot777.net/
gwd88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://gwd88.net/
harapjp88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://harapjp88.com/
himalaya88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://himalaya88.biz/
hondatoto88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://hondatoto88.biz/
ikan88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://ikan88.biz/
imperial888 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://imperial888.biz/
indahjp88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://indahjp88.com/
indobola33 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://indobola33.com/
indomax888 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://indomax888.biz/
indosloter88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://indosloter88.org/
interwin888 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://interwin888.biz/
istana88 permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://istana88.biz/
slot demo gacor permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://kdwapp.com/
akun demo slot gacor permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://kdwapp.com/
akun slot demo gacor permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://kdwapp.com/
akun demo slot pragmatic permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://kdwapp.com/
akun slot demo pragmatic permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://kdwapp.com/
akun slot demo permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://kdwapp.com/
akun demo slot permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://kdwapp.com/
slot demo gacor
akun demo slot gacor
akun slot demo gacor
akun demo slot pragmatic
akun slot demo pragmatic
akun slot demo
akun demo slot
slot demo gacor permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://jebswagstore.com
akun demo slot gacor permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://jebswagstore.com
akun slot demo gacor permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://jebswagstore.com
akun demo slot pragmatic permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://jebswagstore.com
akun slot demo pragmatic permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://jebswagstore.com
akun slot demo permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://jebswagstore.com
akun demo slot permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://jebswagstore.com
slot demo gacor
akun demo slot gacor
akun slot demo gacor
akun demo slot pragmatic
akun slot demo pragmatic
akun slot demo
akun demo slot
slot demo gacor permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://demoslotgacor.pro
akun demo slot gacor permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://demoslotgacor.pro
akun slot demo gacor permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://demoslotgacor.pro
akun demo slot pragmatic permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://demoslotgacor.pro
akun slot demo pragmatic permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://demoslotgacor.pro
akun slot demo permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://demoslotgacor.pro
akun demo slot permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://demoslotgacor.pro
slot demo gacor
akun demo slot gacor
akun slot demo gacor
akun demo slot pragmatic
akun slot demo pragmatic
akun slot demo
akun demo slot
slot demo gacor permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://situsslotterbaru.net
akun demo slot gacor permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://situsslotterbaru.net
akun slot demo gacor permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://situsslotterbaru.net
akun demo slot pragmatic permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://situsslotterbaru.net
akun slot demo pragmatic permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://situsslotterbaru.net
akun slot demo permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://situsslotterbaru.net
akun demo slot permainan paling top dan garansi imbal balik hasil besar bersama https://situsslotterbaru.net
slot demo gacor
akun demo slot gacor
akun slot demo gacor
akun demo slot pragmatic
akun slot demo pragmatic
akun slot demo
akun demo slot
situs slot terbaru
slot terbaru