The Oklahoma City Thunder might have a championship hangover, and it might not matter. On Tuesday night, the team was without All-NBA star Jalen Williams, missed 75 percent of its 3-point attempts, played 11 guys seemingly for the hell of it, were outrebounded by 14, and beat a team that will compete in the Western Conference. Whether or not 29 other teams want to admit it, the Thunder have officially reached Goliath status. Their reign of terror will not be swift, and it will not be painless. Beating this team, even in menial regular season games, will be a grueling task.
And this is not a one-off, either. The Thunder have so, so many ways they can win games. On Tuesday, it was forcing turnovers (22 from Houston), taking an opposing star out of the game (Kevin Durant had 23 points but never dominated), and constantly throwing different looks at the other team. A winning formula even while lacking a star player and going cold from deep.
Thunder still dominate when everything doesn't go right
This may be the surest sign of a dynasty in the NBA; when a team is expected to win every night despite whatever outside circumstances there may be, and when that team expects itself to win despite those circumstances, that's how the foundation of a dynasty is started. The target is on the Thunder's back, but that doesn't make things any easier for other teams.
Mark Daigneault's player-first approach helps Thunder feel unbeatable
Another way to fast-track a dynasty? By having players and coach on the same page, and having each player on the team feel like they're helping and that they have a chance to contribute if they stay the course and show growth in their game.
Mark Daigneault on why Brooks Barnhizer played minutes in OKC’s opening night:
— Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) October 22, 2025
“Barnhizer’s preseason. He’s got some real stuff we value.”
If you blinked, you may have missed Brooks Barnhizer's minutes in the first half on Tuesday night. But the rookie out of Northwestern did see the floor, and Mark Daigneault was pretty straightforward in saying that an impressive preseason is why the second-round pick got the (brief) call.
This might go unnoticed — but not by me! The Thunder have developed a reputation of an organization that develops talent better than almost anyone, and this is why. A rookie played well in preseason, and he immediately saw the court because of it. A willingness to play guys who aren't thought of as typical rotation pieces was a staple on Steve Kerr's teams during the Warriors dynasty. And it's been a recurring theme in Daigneault's tenure with the Thunder, too.
They win games when they have seemingly no reason to, they experiment when necessary, and they can throttle teams in the blink of an eye. Those might not be the most obvious signs of a dynasty, but they're hugely important in a team's ascent to the top of the mountain. The Thunder continue to ascend, and that's a harrowing thought for the rest of the league.