During an era of play that's largely predicated on getting out on the break and emphasizing a fast pace, the OKC Thunder are dominating the game by doing the exact opposite.
Though they certainly have the players and tools needed to run roughshod over the opposition on offense, it's evident that this Oklahoma City squad is looking to approach things with a more methodical, well-thought-out plan.
In turn, they find themselves ranking a lowly 22 in pace (100.43) and 21 in fastbreak points per game (14.3).
Yet, despite these lackluster ranks, they place sixth in offensive rating (118.5), fourth in points per game (122.5), second in turnover percentage (11.0), and number one in net rating (15.6), winning percentage (.829), and point differential (+15.5), the latter of which is even higher than their history-breaking pace from a season ago (+12.9).
Clearly, they're finding success on this front in their way, not anyone else's.
Thunder not adhering to modern-day play styles
Throughout their title-winning campaign last season, the Thunder showed their unwillingness to play an opposing team's game. Instead, they'd force them into playing theirs.
In a time where offensive production and high-octane long-range shooting has become all the rage, Oklahoma City has adopted more of an old-school, defensive domination style.
In 2024-25, they ranked number one in opponent points per 100 possessions (106.6) and steals per game (10.3), while holding opposing teams to a field goal percentage of just 43.6, roughly three percentage points lower than the league average of 46.7.
During their championship follow-up tour, they have somehow only managed to level up on this front, seeing only 103.0 points per 100 possessions scored against them, averaging 10.8 steals per night, and allowing an opposing team field goal percentage of 42.0, nearly five percentage points lower than the 2025-26 league average of 46.8.
Most impressive of all, however, is the fact that they have also remained virtually as effective on the offensive end while slowing down significantly compared to both last season and compared to the current state of the association.
Though this may be shocking for some, considering they have the reigning scoring champion in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the current third-ranked player in this same category (32.5) leading the charge, this Thunder team has become a dynasty in the making thanks to their pulled-back offensive attack and emphasis on defense.
The results have only been remarkable to this point, proving that, even with a slowed-down offensive game plan, OKC still finds itself on the fast track to all-time-team status.