Predicting OKC Thunder stat leaders for the 2024-2025 NBA season

The OKC Thunder boast one of the deepest, most well-rounded rosters in the entire association.

From superstar cornerstones like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to promising young prospects such as Cason Wallace and everything in between, it appears coach Mark Daigneault's rotation truly has it all as far as talent collection is concerned.

Because of this, expectations are high heading into 2024-25, as many project this Thunder team to be in line to contend for an NBA Championship while having several of their ballers be in the running for illustrious in and end-of-season accolades.

Throughout this upcoming campaign, Oklahoma City is bound to see a number of their players make their presence felt, many of whom will even end up contending for the team lead in a bevy of different statistical categories.

As for who of the bunch will end up pulling ahead in the major stats departments, there currently seem to be quite a few clear frontrunners.

Predicting Thunder stat leaders during 2024-25 NBA season

Points: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Perhaps the least shocking prediction on this list today, it seems like a safe bet that go-to offensive weapon, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be the leading scorer for the Thunder yet again in 2024-25.

Since taking the leap from rising stud to legitimate superstar two seasons ago, the 26-year-old has become not just OKC's top offensive threat but, frankly, one of the league's absolute best overall scorers.

Dating back to 2022-23, SGA has seen sensational per-game averages of 30.7 points per game, while finishing fourth in the NBA in PPG averages twice during this span with 31.4 and 30.1, respectively.

Along this span, Gilgeous-Alexander has seen the most shots by far for the Thunder, with the closest differential coming in 2022-23 when he still hoisted up 263 more attempts than the second-placed Josh Giddey (no longer on the team, mind you) who shot 1118 attempts compared to 1381.

Since becoming the head honcho out in Loud City, it has essentially been a forgone conclusion that the point guard will pace all players in points. Don't expect this trend to all of a sudden change in 2024-25.

Rebounds: Isaiah Hartenstein

With the addition of Isaiah Hartenstein during this year's free agency period, the Thunder addressed their need for more size and physicality within their frontcourt rotation.

Expect this newcomer to make his presence felt in a major way by taking over as the go-to force for all things nitty-gritty down low.

Last season, Chet Holmgren took the league by storm during his rookie campaign, and, with his 7-foot-1 frame, managed to snatch down 7.9 boards per night (ranked second among first-year players).

That said, his featherweight 208-pound build proved to be severely outmatched by the rest of the game's bigger and stronger centers.

Because of this, with this newly formed 7-foot tandem, expectations are that Hartenstein will come in and man the pivot while Holmgren will slide on up to power forward -- a move he seems excited to make.

In turn, the Thunder could then very easily opt to run more four-out, one-in sets, thus leaving I-Hart as the primary recipient of erred and missed shots.

Fresh off a season where he pulled down 8.3 rebounds a game and 9.4 when found in the starting rotation, bet on Hartenstein pulling down balls at a similar rate during his debut campaign out in OKC.

Assists: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

This summer, the Thunder parted ways with their most gifted set-up artist and offensive facilitator, Josh Giddey via the trade that landed them Alex Caruso from the Chicago Bulls.

Without his presence, the ball club finds itself void of any true floor general to help get their slew of talented offensive players clean looks at open baskets.

Because of this, Oklahoma City's remaining backcourt players will need to step up in the facilitation game sans Giddey, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will likely be the first one to see an uptick in usage in this department.

Already seen last season with the former lottery pick's reduced usage as a set-up artist, SGA showed that he was more than capable of taking charge of running an offense, as he went on to drop a career-best 6.2 assists per game which, in turn, paced all players on the Thunder.

Expect him to be the number-one assist generator on the team once again, and don't be surprised if he records another career high in dimes dropped in the process.

Blocks: Chet Holmgren

As noted earlier, Chet Holmgren broke onto the scene during his rookie campaign, posting impressive all-around averages of 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 53.0 percent from the floor and 37.0 percent from distance.

And while his inside-out offensive skill set as a 7-footer was certainly a major benefit for this Thunder team, easily the most impactful aspect of his game was his defensive prowess and, particularly, his rim-protecting abilities.

In 82 games played, the big man went about and swatted a whopping 2.3 blocks per game and a total of 190 on the season, ranking him number one on the team in both departments and fifth and second, respectively, in the entire association.

With a full season now under his belt, and his understanding of opposing players' offensive timings, one should only expect Holmgren to continue showing off his sensational blocking skills while serving as one of the primary anchors of this absolutely lethal defensive unit.

Steals: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Outside of being an offensive stud with one of the deepest bags of tricks in the league, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has proven himself to be a pesky participant on the less glamorous side of the ball as well, especially in the steals department.

For his career, the combo guard has poked away an average of 1.4 steals per game and 2.0 every 100 possessions.

Last season, he would go on to not only lead his team but tie for the most steals in the league with 150 total swipes and averaged the highest SPG mark out of those who played in 50 or more games with 2.0 a night.

Though Alex Caruso may end up giving Gilgeous-Alexander a run for his money in this statistical category (has averaged 1.6 steals over the last three seasons), being he's slated to split time with the likes of Lu Dort, expect the more utilized star to once again pave the way in steals per game and overall steals on the year.