After a historic start to the 2025-2026 season, the OKC Thunder have hit a wall during their recent stretch of games, going 6-6 over their last 12.
The scariest part of this current rut, however, is the fact that they haven't even faced their biggest threat to a title repeat.
The Denver Nuggets are currently third in the Western Conference, and they are just beginning to find their stride. At 24-12, they represent a formidable opponent who is capable of dismantling any team that faces them.
Nuggets' injury list has rivaled that of the Thunder
Their record might arguably be more impressive than OKC's, considering the bevy of injuries they have had to deal with so far this year.
Thunder-killer Aaron Gordon, who fans painfully remember stealing two games away from them with his lights-out shooting last postseason, has missed 22 outings already this year, 19 of which were due to a strained right hamstring.
Breakout guard Christian Braun has taken major strides forward as a player in each of his three previous seasons. He missed 23 straight games with a sprained ankle before returning to action late last week.
Most importantly, NBA superstar Nikola Jokic has missed the last four games with a hyperextended left knee and will be out multiple weeks.
With such a significant chunk of their team missing action, it would have been easy for Denver to limp through this first stretch of the season. Instead, they've been showing the rest of the league what they are truly made of.
Nuggets have shown elite roster depth
The barrage of injuries has only made this Nuggets team more intimidating. So far, they are 14-8 without Aaron Gordon and 15-9 without Christian Braun.
Arguably most terrifying of all, however, is what they have been able to do without Jokic.
So far, they are 2-2 in his absence, but one of their losses was a 113-108 nail-biter against a respectable Cavs team. Their two wins have come against two Eastern Conference teams that are currently in the playoff hunt.
Their most recent win, a 125-124 overtime thriller against the Sixers, featured a starting lineup that consisted of only reserves, as they overcame Joel Embiid and a fully healthy Philly unit.
Jalen Pickitt, a third-year man drafted at the back of the second round in 2023 and has never averaged over 5.0 points per game, led the way with 29 points on 11-for-20 shooting, adding seven assists in the process.
The Thunder have only weeks to prepare for this save-the-date
The Thunder can only hope to be a different team when they travel to Denver on February 1. They will prove a tough task for this OKC squad, which has experienced a fall from grace over the past few weeks.
Jokic's proposed end-of-month return window would put him on track to play in this battle of heavyweights, making Denver even more lethal and capable of dismantling the recently suspect OKC defense.
Eyes will likely be on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's supporting cast, especially from beyond the arc. Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Lu Dort all shot under 30.0 percent from downtown in their seven-game series against Denver last postseason, and it nearly cost them the championship.
With teams adopting a strict anyone-but-Shai policy on defense, the Thunder's secondary scoring options handling a heavy workload could be the main storyline of the night and determine which Western Conference foe emerges as the top dog.