When at full strength, it goes without saying that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams are the top dynamic duo on this OKC Thunder team.
However, during these early stages of the 2025-26 campaign, it's been the tandem of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein who have been absolutely lethal together.
Last season, the pair showed flashes of unparalleled dominance when running alongside one another, as OKC ranked in the 96 percentile in point differential (+13.5), 95 percentile in points per 100 possessions (123.4), 99 percentile in effective field goal percentage (60.8), and the 88 percentile in opponents points per 100 possessions (109.9) when rolling out this kind of double-big lineup.
Of course, due to the fact that this orientation's sample size was rather small (679 total possessions), not everyone was convinced that it could be sustained for an entire season.
Though we may still only be in the early stages of 2025-26, it seems this connection between Holmgren and Hartenstein has carried on over into the new league year, as they are once again wreaking havoc upon opposing ball clubs on both ends of the ball.
Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein are a truly dominant duo for Thunder
This past summer, Hartenstein opened up about how he believed having both him and Holmgren fully healthy (something that wasn't the case in 2024-25) is what will make this team truly "dangerous."
Through 11 games played, it seems this expectation is proving to be a reality.
With the two sharing the floor, the Thunder have been virtually unstoppable, as the club ranks in the 86 percentile in effective field goal percentage (58.4), 91 percentile in defensive turnover percentage (17.8), 96 percentile in points per 100 possessions (125.8), and the 99 percentile in point differential (+23.3) when utilizing the double-big approach.
On top of this, both rank within the top three on OKC (minimum 200 minutes played) when it comes to their on/off metrics in both offensive rating and overall net rating.
Recently, the dynamic duo put their stellar levels of play on full display during Sunday's comeback win against the Memphis Grizzlies, where they combined for 39 points and 20 rebounds on 16-for-25 shooting (64.0 percent).
Following the contest, Gilgeous-Alexander (35 points) couldn't help but gush over their efforts, saying "they're good out there," followed by him saying that their performance is the epitome of this team's ability to "do it all."
At 10-1, the Thunder boast the best record in the entire NBA, and, though SGA may get the lion's share of credit, it's safe to say that they wouldn't be where they currently stand without the elite play of Holmgren and Hartenstein.