After finishing first in the Western Conference last season, Oklahoma City is set for another successful season thanks to a few key offseason acquisitions.
Kurt Helin of NBC Sports published an updated NBA Power Rankings list on Monday, ranking the Oklahoma City Thunder second.
Helin’s ranking comes just a few months after Oklahoma City finished with 57 wins, earned the Western Conference’s top seed, and swept the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round of the playoffs. While the Thunder finally lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the following round, Mark Daigneault’s club should be even better in 2024-25 for a variety of reasons.
Oklahoma City was one of the NBA’s youngest teams last season, and it could benefit from internal development this offseason. Players like Cason Wallace, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and others still have a lot of room to grow after the 2023-24 season and should do even better with another summer of effort.
Furthermore, the Thunder had little playoff experience entering the postseason in 2024, which came back to bother them during their series versus Dallas.
Now that the squad has competed in a hard-fought playoff series, they will be better prepared for their playoffs battles in 2025.
The most significant differences for Oklahoma City entering the new season, however, are the team’s roster additions. After a disappointing third season in the Modern Frontier, former No. 6 overall pick Josh Giddey was transferred to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for star wing Alex Caruso.
Caruso had a career-high 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.7 steals, and one block per game in 2023-24, garnering NBA All-Defensive Second Team recognition. While the 2020 NBA champion is one of the league’s finest perimeter defenders, he has also improved his 3-point shooting accuracy.
Last season, Caruso hit 40.8% from beyond the arc on 4.7 3-point attempts per game, making him an ideal fit for Daigneault’s style.
Along with Caruso, the Thunder signed free agent center Isaiah Hartenstein throughout the summer.
Hartenstein, who stands 7 feet tall and weighs 250 pounds, brings size and rebounding ability to Oklahoma City’s 2023-24 roster. Last season, Hartenstein averaged 7.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.1 blocks a game for the New York Knicks, establishing himself as one of the NBA’s best role players.
With the addition of two talented defenders and passers who offer additional skills to Daigneault’s team, the Thunder should be even better than they were in 2023-24.
The Dallas Mavericks, who made a few strong summer signings, were third on NBC Sports’ list.
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