OKC Thunder continues to impress in national sites power rankings week two

Week two finds the league still searching for constancy while the OKC Thunder continue to impress in national pundits in power rankings.

With a full week of action under their belts, the 30 teams in the NBA offered up more evidence for national pundits to utilize as they compiled their power rankings. For the second consecutive week, the OKC Thunder got good reviews for the most part from the national sites.

While there weren’t any 50 point first half deficits this week there continue to be elite squads who are still searching to fix areas of concern. At least a trio of clubs who land in the bottom third of the power rankings on most lists this week could easily have reverse records and be in the top ten.

Ditto for clubs who are performing at the rate that would find them headed to the playoffs if they started today (see New York Knicks).

No doubt the early season finds teams affected by a truncated offseason and last season’s lottery teams who had nine months of rest.

The OKC Thunder are still ranked in the bottom tier of ladders but a common refrain was how much fun this team is to watch which isn’t something typically said about lottery teams.

As per usual, Thunderous Intentions has compiled the national sites’ power rankings including excerpts on the OKC Thunder.

Week two power rankings finds the OKC Thunder continuing to impress:

With that let’s see where the National pundits rank the OKC Thunder in week two of the NBA  Power Rankings.

NBA.com – John Schuhmann:

In week two of NBA action the stats guru of the NBA – John Schuhmann drops the OKC Thunder one spot down to 28th and cites the issues on offense. Although he raves about the defensive effort. A portion of his excerpt can be found below.

"Record: 2-3Pace: 101.3 (19) OffRtg: 101.0 (30) DefRtg: 108.3 (15) NetRtg: -7.3 (28)Of the teams that rank in the bottom five in offensive efficiency, the Thunder sure look like the one most likely to stay there for the next 4 1/2 months. Luguentz Dort scored 26 points (with a Kawhi-Leonard-esque strip-and-go bucket in the third quarter) against Utah on Monday and is 12-for-23 (52%) on catch-and-shoot 3-pointers. But Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remains the only guy who can consistently create advantages off the dribble."

For the full version of Schuhman’s Thunder comments and the rest of his power rankings click here.

ESPN Poll:

The ESPN panel votes on seeding and ranked the OKC Thunder 28th dropping them two spots in week two of action.

Oddly, the panel places them behind some teams who haven’t performed as well but then again they cite the Thunder are right on track to do what they plan on this season (nabbing that top draft pick while developing their youthful core). Only the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons rank behind the Thunder. The full listing can be found here.

"The Thunder’s first two weeks have gone almost perfectly according to plan. They’ve won a couple of games that featured positive developmental moments for their young players (like Darius Bazley dropping 19 points and 12 rebounds on Saturday against Orlando). Veterans like Al Horford and George Hill are playing well, increasing their trade value. And the games the Thunder have lost have mostly been close ones. The losses will probably pile up all season for OKC, but maintaining a competitive spirit is a valuable component to the hard part of a rebuild. — Young"

Bleacher Report:

Writer Mo Dakhil of the Bleacher Report continues to be impressed by the early showing of the young OKC Thunder squad. He holds them steady in 24th. Teams that ranked behind them starting with the 30th rank are the Pistons, Knicks, Grizzlies, Wolves, Wizards, and Cavaliers respectively. A portion of Dakhil’s excerpt can be found below.

"A bit concerning is the start of the season Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is having. Even though he’s near the same scoring average as a year ago, he’s shooting worse from the floor and has nearly doubled his turnover average. Oklahoma City is betting on him developing into a franchise player, so more focus will have to be paid to his development.Overall, the team is struggling offensively. It has the league’s worst offensive rating and is averaging 17 turnovers per game."

The full article is available via this link

CBS Sports:

Colin Ward-Henninger of CBS Sports hit the OKC THunder HARD in their second week dropping them to 29th.  Only the Timberwolves were ranked under OKC. Last week Ward-Henninger placed them 24th so it’s a five rung drop.

For CWH’s full power rankings placements click this link.

"OKC went 1-3 this week, splitting with the Magic while dropping a close one to the Jazz and getting blown out by New Orleans. Wins will be tough to come by for the Thunder this season, so development of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, Darius Bazley, Theo Maledon and Aleksej Pokusevski will take priority, while Al Horford and George Hill potentially build up their trade value."

Sports Illustrated:

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Michael Shapiro of Sports Illustrated – The Crossover highlights the Thunder offense noting it will be the reason the squad loses more than wins. Shapiro also points to the two youngsters already looking to have cemented their position in the core. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is obvious but unlike many of his cohorts who like Luguentz Dort, he points to Darius Bazley as the other young player on the Thunder with potential.

A week after Shapiro moved the Thunder up to 27th he drops them back to 29th.

The following is his excerpt on the Thunder while his full rankings can be viewed here.

"The Thunder are sinking quickly in the Western Conference, and this offense should continue to struggle throughout 2020-21. If you’re looking for a dose of positivity, check out Darius Bazley’s recent play.The second-year forward scored 19 points and added 12 rebounds in a win over the Magic on Jan. 2, showing off his notable size and wingspan in the process. Bazley and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander both require a degree of seasoning (moreso for Bazley), though both provide impressive athleticism. They’re Oklahoma City’s two top assets as an arduous rebuild begins."

Hoops Habit:

Corey Rausch of our sister site, Hoops Habit is keen on the OKC Thunder so much so that he ranked them ahead of teams who’ll eventually figure out their poor starts and finish well ahead such as the Raptors, Nuggets, and Warriors. Rausch slides the Thunder into 23rd in his power rankings in week two up from 27th the week prior.

The following is a portion of his excerpt on the Thunder while the full ranking list can be found here.

"For anyone not taking the chance to check in on the Oklahoma City Thunder, change that. This team is plenty of fun on a night to night basis and deserves to be watched. There are so many things to check out for this team, especially if you can get past the lingering Al Horford.Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is coming into his own even more so than he did last season and is looking like the star prospect growing on a tanking team that will continue to open eyes. Luguentz Dort has new confidence as a 3-point gunner and is catnip for defense and hustler junkies.Isaiah Roby needs more minutes and gets them any time Horford misses a game. Hamidou Diallo seems to be still figuring out what to do with his athleticism but when it works it is a joy."

This completes the power ranking offerings for the first week of play. How did you view the OKC Thunder this week and where would you rank them among your peers? Let us know in the comments section.