The Oklahoma City Thunder endured a grueling 2025-26 regular season that their 64-18 record fails to reflect. They lost virtually everyone for some degree of time, with several critical players missing large percentages of the season.
Thankfully, the very hurdle that challenged Oklahoma City to reinvent the wheel has birthed the driving force behind their success: Adaptability.
Oklahoma City played 49 games without 2024-25 All-NBA and All-Defense honoree Jalen Williams. It spent 35 without starting center Isaiah Hartenstein, 26 sans defensive stalwart and leader Alex Caruso, and 25 down breakout guard Ajay Mitchell.
The Thunder even played 14 games without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and 13 without Chet Holmgren, as well as 17 down Aaron Wiggins and another 17 down Jaylin Williams.
Clearly, the Thunder are at their best when they have a roster at full strength. On the highest of levels, Gilgeous-Alexander is the reigning Finals MVP, Jalen Williams offers immeasurable two-way quality along the wings, and Holmgren is a top-tier defensive presence.
What the Thunder learned to do during the 2025-26 season, however, is play winning basketball regardless of who is or isn't available to them.
Thunder learned how to win without key players before playoffs began
Oklahoma City will unfortunately have to dig back into their bag of tricks with Jalen Williams sidelined yet again. He's dealing with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain that will see the Thunder re-evaluate his availability on a "weekly basis."
There are obvious reasons for concern moving forward, but the saving grace is that Oklahoma City was prepared for adversity by the regular season they endured.
Players such as Isaiah Joe, Ajay Mitchell, and Aaron Wiggins answered the call by thriving in Williams' absence. Jared McCain, meanwhile, was a mid-season acquisition who has hit the ground running and provided invaluable offensive proficiency off the bench.
Whether or not said players will suffice in the face of current or future adversity has yet to be seen, but the fact that the Thunder have gained experience without key players offers unique perspective.
Equipped with that arguable strength, Oklahoma City can now allow Williams to take his time and make a full recovery. They may or may not win a championship without him, but they can certainly piece together a sufficient number of wins until he's ready to compete again.
Though there are no shortage of hurdles that still await the Thunder, knowing how to play without key players is a unique strength that can drive them toward a second title.
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