Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is clearly the most notable thing about this OKC Thunder team. After all, he is the reigning league and NBA Finals MVP and is the undisputed leader of the top-rated club in the game.
However, right behind him when it comes to enviable highlights of this team is their elite roster depth.
Oklahoma City is a real strength-in-numbers squad, as they regularly are seen going 10 to 12 men deep with their per-game rotations.
This luxury, in particular, is why they've been able to successfully weather the early-season storms that have come their way during these first few weeks of action, and, quite frankly, why they are so far ahead of every other perceived 2026 title threat.
Thunder still dominating despite glaring early season woes
Simply based on the eye test, the Thunder seem to be far from the version of themselves that recorded the fourth-most wins in NBA history (68) and that took home the Larry O'Brien Trophy just last season.
Through 10 games, they rank just 20 in three-point percentage (34.2) and a middling 15 in effective field goal percentage (55.0).
Gilgeous-Alexander, though still obviously incredible, is quietly playing at a step below his 2024-25 self, particularly with his slow start in the offensive department, where he shot a mere 26.8 percent from deep through November 2.
Lu Dort has missed three games, Chet Holmgren and Alex Caruso have missed four, and All-NBA forward Jalen Williams has not played a single second on the year so far as he remains sidelined following offseason wrist surgery.
And yet, despite all these glaring issues and hiccups, the Thunder are still the top team in the league with a number one-seeded record of 9-1.
As best explained by NBA legend Lou Williams, this has been, in large part, due to the fact that coach Daigneault can lean on his roster's plug-and-play abilities, specifically noting during a recent episode of FanDuel TV's Run it Back that "everybody they plug in can play."
With all their on-court struggles and constant rotational shakeups, Oklahoma City not only has people still believing they are the frontrunners to win the 2026 NBA Finals, but also that they are a legitimate threat to become just the third team ever to record 70 or more wins.
Seeing the Thunder draw this kind of narrative, even with their clear flaws, is not only exciting for fans to see but also yet another example of just how far ahead of the curve they truly are.