As the NBA season nears its midpoint, the Oklahoma City Thunder has consistently proven itself as one of the more captivating teams in the league, known for its young talent, resiliency and strong team bond. The team plans for long-term success, which can already be seen this season.
The OKC Thunder currently has a record of 33-6, making it the No.1 ranked team in the Western Conference ahead of the second-ranked team, the Houston Rockets, by 6.5 games. Since being defeated by the Cleveland Cavaliers, the OKC Thunder became No.2 ranked for Power Rankings, a ranking system based on the overall performance of all the 30 NBA teams.
One of the star players on the team is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He plays the leading and starting guard, despite one of the most recent games where he played the post position. Throughout the OKC Thunder’s 39 games so far this season, Gilgeous-Alexander averages 31.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game. He is one of the few players in the NBA who is in the top running for MVP and making the All-Star team as a starter.
Another player who brings assets to the team is Jalen Williams, who is the power forward and is known as JDub by fans. With averaging 20.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game, he helps through the defensive lineup by being a consistent starter and having a running in making the All-Star team for the Feb. 16 game.
Luguentz Dort, the small forward, is also a key player when it comes to the OKC Thunder’s defense. He can often be seen guarding the opposing team’s best player and is a leading contributor to the amount of wins they have accumulated so far.
Other than Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams and Dort, the average starting lineup consists of Carson Wallace, shooting guard, and Isaiah Hartenstein, center. Hartenstein is a 7-foot player who leads the team in amount of rebounds per game, while Wallace has helped assist with scoring. Another player that often starts games for the OKC Thunder, but is currently on an 8-10 week break for an injury is Chet Holmgren. He is a forward-center for the OKC Thunder and the tallest player on the OKC Thunder at 7 feet and 1 inch, making him essential for rebounding and blocking. Even without Holmgren, the OKC Thunder still came out and won many of its games.
The fanbase of the OKC Thunder can be seen as supportive and enthusiastic. The mascot, a bison named Rumble, has energy during every game that allows for the crowd to be hyped. The Thunder Drummers, OKC Thunder’s drumline, and the Storm Chasers, the OKC Thunder’s crowd entertainers, keep the fans amused, engaged and loud throughout the whole game. There are two types of dance groups that also contribute to the fans’ engagement: the cheerleaders known as Thunder Girls and the dance team known as O’ City Crew. Both of these groups are involved with the crowd during game time and perform during halftime. All of these components go into creating a playful and energetic atmosphere for the OKC Thunder team to feel encouraged and pull off wins when playing a home game at the Paycom Center, the OKC Thunder’s arena in Oklahoma City.
The excitement surrounding the OKC Thunder this season has grown because of other improvements, besides the team growth, that will be happening in the future. In 2028, the team will be able to play in a brand new stadium that is being built for the OKC Thunder. It is a $900 million project that has already begun to undergo the process of being built.
For the remainder of the season, the OKC Thunder have a plan to continue winning and stand a chance in winning the Larry O’Brien Trophy, which is awarded to the winner of the NBA finals that will start on June 5. Before finals, the OKC Thunder has to make it through several rounds of playoffs, which take the top eight teams of each conference, with the seventh and eighth seed being chosen by a play-in tournament that happens during the season. Certain players from the team will also have extra activities such as the All-Star games. With the hopes of making it far into the playoffs and winning as many games as possible, the OKC Thunder has a solid chance of being seen in the Championship game and still plan to improve for the future.
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