The OKC Thunder may have a roster that's chock full of top-flight talent, but the real reason why this team is far and away the best in the association is due to the fact that every player, from one down to 15, steps onto the floor with overwhelming confidence on a nightly basis.
Perhaps some already had this innate quality upon coming to the Sooner State, while others adopted it over the course of their tenure.
Regardless, it goes without saying that playing in the environment that coach Mark Daigneault has established will only allow this confidence to grow exponentially.
Thunder players have luxury of unusually long leashes
Unlike most teams strewn across the league, the Thunder give virtually every individual who steps foot on the hardwood a noticeably long leash.
This inherently allows players, particularly non-star role players, to focus primarily on providing whatever contributions they can to help Oklahoma City in a positive manner, rather than fear that an off night, say, from beyond the arc, could lead to a quick trip to the bench.
Fans bear witness to this kind of luxury on a regular basis.
The most recent example of this came during Wednesday's 113-99 win over the Sacramento Kings, where the likes of Alex Caruso and Isaiah Joe combined for just 1-for-10 shooting from deep, while Isaiah Hartenstein registered just four points.
In many other situations, specifically ones relating to competitive clubs, there's quite a realistic chance that these offensive woes would have relegated the trio to the pine and, in turn, reduced action on the night.
The Thunder, however, approach things with a much different mentality, as their priority on the floor is not necessarily scoring the most points, but simply preventing an opposing team from scoring more than them.
It's because of this that all three of Caruso, Joe, and Hartenstein registered over 20 minutes played on the night, as they combined for four blocks and two steals while falling just behind Chet Holmgren for the best defensive ratings.
Many talk about how this Thunder rotation has the ability to plug and play so effectively because, as NBA legend Lou Williams put it, "everybody they plug in can play."
While this is certainly true from a sheer talent standpoint, the fact that coach Daigneault has established such trust in his players to find a way to make an impact, even on an off night, only makes this team all the more cohesive and sound.