To many, this OKC Thunder team is virtually unstoppable.
From their elite, league-leading defensive punch to their sixth-best scoring efforts led by the reigning scoring champion himself, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, this ball club has proven itself to be a true, two-way nightmare for any opposing team.
Heck, even in a recent piece penned by Bleacher Report's Dan Favale, while highlighting the team's non-SGA offensive firepower as their "fatal flaw" that could impede their pursuit of winning back-to-back titles here in 2025-26, he couldn't help but note that it's a topic that's "easy to overstate."
Yes, per the advanced metrics, the Thunder place within the 28 percentile in both half-court and overall offense when Gilgeous-Alexander is out of the game, while placing in just the 47 percentile in effective field goal percentage at 53.9 percent.
However, despite this undeniably putrid production, the Shai-less Thunder still manage to fall in the 78 percentile in point differential, thanks, by and large, to their sensational defensive excellence.
Thunder capable of making up for shortcomings with Shai off the floor
As things currently stand, the Thunder have five of the top-10 players in defensive rating, including the top-ranked Alex Caruso, among those in the league who have played 40 or more games this season.
With this, it should come as no surprise that, even without Gilgeous-Alexander in the fold, they place in the 81 percentile in opponents' effective field goal percentage, the 95 percentile in opponent turnover percentage, and the 96 percentile in opponent points per 100 possessions.
Of course, their domination on the less glamorous side of the ball isn't the only reason why Oklahoma City's presumed offensive woes with Shai sidelined are overstated.
Since new X-factor Jared McCain first made his debut with the team back on February 7 following his trade deadline acquisition, the Thunder's bench unit has ranked eighth in points per game, second in three-point percentage, and second in plus-minus.
Perhaps the kicker of it all -- they've been this productive with spark plug guard Ajay Mitchell being shelved for all but five of these games (hamstring strain) and number two option, Jalen Williams, suiting up on just two occasions (hamstring strain).
Yes, it's undeniable that Gilgeous-Alexander is the de facto, go-to player on this team, but thanks to their truly remarkable depth, they are and, at least as of late, have proven more than capable of overcoming any perceived shortcomings while their MVP is found on the sidelines.