It's been a lukewarm offseason for the OKC Thunder. They've brought in some new faces via the draft but had to say goodbye to a few fan favorites in the process. Despite the losses forced by the pressures of the second apron, they still enter the new season as a legitimate title threat.
Their Western Conference reign might be far from over, too, as a former MVP may have just reminded everybody how good of a spot the franchise is truly in.
Future Hall of Famer Nikola Jokic was on a podcast this week listing players in his native tongue who, in his opinion, guard him well. Rudy Gobert, Jalen Duren, and Victor Wembanyama were just some of the names listed... then he floated the entire Thunder team.
Thunder have stifled Nikola Jokic by strength in numbers, not star power
His sentiment makes sense when remembering OKC's seven-game series, where countless defenders relentlessly swarmed the big man. Most notably, pesky wing Alex Caruso gave him fits in the paint, forcing Jokic to shoot under 40.0 percent in three games.
The Joker also averaged 4.4 turnovers, 1.4 more than his career average.
Jokic's words put into perspective the defensive flurry OKC sends at all of its opponents, and the scariest part may be that there's no end in sight. The Thunder starting five gives way to an equally stout defensive unit, led by Caruso and rising star Ajay Mitchell.
The reality is there are elite defenders all over the roster, and no amount of forced financial acrobatics will change that.
This offseason, the Thunder were forced to move on from defensive guru Lu Dort, but up-and-comer Cason Wallace projects to slide into his spot as the starting 3-and-D man.
Even the second apron can't stop long-term Thunder dominance
Next offseason, the Thunder will once again face tough financial decisions.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's supermax deal kicks in, and various role players will be due for a payday. However, given OKC's elite ability to spot and sign young talent on team-friendly deals, coach Mark Daigneault will still have a plethora of options to put on the court.
Aside from the Thunder's Big Three, they have the aforementioned Mitchell, Isaiah Hartenstein, Alex Caruso, Jared McCain, Jaylin Williams, and others still under contract for 2027-28.
In short, the elite OKC player pipeline is a gift that just keeps on giving.
Nikola Jokic's comments acknowledge what the rest of the league already fears.
Despite the second apron rules designed to stop superteams, the Thunder have miraculously managed to set themselves up for the long haul.
There is no end in sight for the Western Conference juggernauts, and they will seemingly enter every season with a chance to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy for the foreseeable future.
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