3 Important Thunder lessons learned in first week of 2024-25 regular season

Through one week of action during the 2024-25 NBA regular season, one thing seems abundantly clear: The OKC Thunder are the team to beat in the Western Conference.

After kicking things off with a blowout win against the 2023 NBA Champion Denver Nuggets on opening night, Oklahoma City has yet to take its foot off the proverbial pedal. They are +19.3 in the point differential department while ranking first in defensive rating (90.8) and third in net rating (18.4) en route to a 3-0 record, making them one of only three undefeated teams heading into week two.

Coming into the campaign, it was already widely accepted that this Thunder squad would be a force to be reckoned with, as they had the odds-makers convinced they were the second biggest threat to take home the Larry O'Brien Trophy come year's end.

With the first week of action now in the rearview it's evident that their standing in the title-hopeful conversation is more than warranted, though there are a few other lessons that have been learned along the way as well.

Important Thunder lessons learned through first week of 2024-25 season

The starting lineup will be a revolving door

Three games, three different starting units utilized.

Outside the core Thunder trio of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren, one should expect coach Mark Daigneault to continuously roll out differing lineups during this 2024-25 campaign as he's done so far throughout these infancy stages.

All of Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe, and Cason Wallace have seen gos in the first five lineup through this point. Luguentz Dort has been a consistent alongside the previously mentioned big-three, but even he could be revolved in and out of the starting rotation as Alex Caruso becomes more confidence and comfortable within OKC's scheme as the year progresses.

Perhaps most interesting when it comes to the ball club's continuous shakeups thus far is the fact that this has all been done without free agency pick up, Isaiah Hartenstein in the mix, as he's sidelined through at least early on next month with a fractured left hand.

Once he returns, this will only add yet another worthy starting option to this coaching staff's arsenal.

Though perhaps a tad unorthodox, considering the obscene depth of this Thunder rotation, Daigneault could realistically look to structure his starting lineups based on per-game matchups.

Chet Holmgren is officially ready to leap into stardom

Following up a debut campaign that, in any other, non-Victor Wembanyama season would have seen him walk away with the Rookie of the Year award, Chet Holmgren appears ready to take his highly anticipated sophomore step into stardom.

Throughout the summer, the 22-year-old big was frequently seen trending on social media due, in large, to viral videos of his training sessions with already-established stars in the association.

Through both preseason play and this first week of regular season action, it appears more than evident that the work he's put in throughout the offseason is paying off in major ways, as he looks stronger, incredibly efficient, and, more importantly more confident on both ends of the floor.

Considering he already proved himself to be a two-way force in year one, adding these adjectives to his resume only makes him scarier.

Through three games played, the big has gone on to drop sensational averages of 23.7 points, 13.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.3 steals, and a ridiculous 4.0 blocks while shooting 56.3 percent from the floor.

Already receiving significant praise from some of the game's greatest players for his efforts, Chet Holmgren seems ready to challenge for an All-Star selection, an All-NBA nod, and perhaps even a Defensive Player of the Year award should he continue at this or a similar rate.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is letting them fly

Over the last several seasons, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has managed to up his league-wide status from budding stud to legitimate superstar and franchise centerpiece. From his impressive finishing abilities and ball-handling skills to his incredibly underrated defensive chops, the 26-year-old is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with on both ends of the floor.

However, arguably the one thing missing from his deep bag of tricks even during his MVP runner-up campaign just last year was an affinity and overall willingness to pull up for regular jump shots, particularly from long-range.

Interestingly enough, throughout the preseason and, now, in three regular season games played, it seems that his mentality and desires in this area of the game have pulled a complete 180.

Over the first six year of his NBA career, SGA has found himself averaging just 3.4 attempts per game from beyond the arc, with 2021-22 serving as the lone season where he hoisted over 4.9 a game.

During these early stages of 2024-25, the Thunder star has more than doubled these numbers, as he finds himself shooting a new career-high 7.7 attempts per game from 3-point range. Though this may only be a small sample size, his recent remarks on changing his mentality about finding his shot suggest that this trend is likely to stick around.

Moving forward, Thunder fans should expect to see their franchise centerpiece in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander letting them fly at never before seen rates!