By the numbers: OKC Thunder just put together one of the greatest single seasons in NBA history

What truly defines an all-time great NBA team? Is it measured by the talent on the roster, or purely by statistics like wins, point differentials, and efficiency? The 2015-16 Golden State Warriors` historic season raises the question of whether failing to win a championship excludes a team from being considered one of the greatest.

The key word here is `conversation`. This discussion isn`t about definitively ranking teams across different eras – we can`t truly pit the Jordan-Pippen Bulls against the Curry-Thompson Warriors to see who was better. However, we can confidently state that both these teams, along with several others, belong in the discussion of the greatest ever.

This brings us to the current question: Does the Oklahoma City Thunder team, fresh off defeating the Indiana Pacers in a seven-game series to claim the 2025 NBA title, also warrant inclusion in this elite discussion?

From the perspective of establishing a dynasty, it`s clearly too early to definitively say yes. The Thunder, the youngest team to win a championship since the 1977 Trail Blazers and possessing a league-leading 13 first-round draft picks through 2031, are undoubtedly positioned for potential future success and multiple titles. However, until they achieve that consistency, which is challenging in today`s highly competitive and balanced NBA (especially the Western Conference), they haven`t yet earned a place in the dynasty conversation.

But what about their performance in just this single season? That`s a distinct discussion, and viewed objectively, it`s nearly impossible to exclude the Thunder from it. To fully appreciate OKC`s historical standing based on their 2024-25 campaign, let`s delve into the remarkable statistics.

Total Wins: 84

Combining their 68 regular-season victories with 16 playoff wins, the Thunder amassed an impressive 84 total wins. This places them in rare company, with only two teams historically surpassing this number: the 2015-16 Warriors (88 wins, but no title) and the 1995-96 Bulls (87 wins). The 1996-97 Bulls also finished with 84 total wins.

It`s important to consider historical context; the NBA playoffs structure has changed. Seven-game series in all four rounds only became standard in 2003. Before that, the first round was five games, and before 1984, there were only three playoff rounds. While not a massive difference, older teams might have added a win if first rounds were best-of-seven. Regardless, finishing with 84 wins and a championship puts a team in exclusive historical territory.

Dominant Margin of Victory: +12.9

Oklahoma City`s average regular-season point differential was an astounding +12.9, setting a new NBA record. This surpasses the long-standing record of +12.3 held by the 1971-72 Lakers for over half a century. Below are the top five regular-season point differentials in NBA history:

Combined Point Differential: 1,247

Their total point differential across the regular season and playoffs reached 1,247, another NBA record. This remarkable figure includes:

• 63 wins by 10+ points (most in NBA History)
• 40 wins by 15+ points (most in NBA history)
• 12 wins by 30+ points (most in NBA History)
• 4 playoff wins by 30+ points (most in NBA History)

The Thunder weren`t just dominant when leading; they also demonstrated resilience. They were exceptional at overcoming deficits, finishing 19-12 in games where they trailed at halftime during the regular and postseason combined – the seventh-best comeback win percentage in league history.

Leading the Conference: 16 Games Ahead

Finishing the regular season with a 68-14 record, the Thunder were a remarkable 16 games ahead of the second-seeded Houston Rockets in the Western Conference. This margin is the largest between the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds since the NBA-ABA merger in 1977.

Historic Defensive Dominance

The Thunder`s defense was a cornerstone of their success. They are the first championship team since the 2014-15 Warriors to finish the season with the league`s top-ranked defense. Furthermore, they are the only team since the 1976-77 merger to lead the league in Defensive Rating (106.6), opponent field goal percentage (43.6%), and opponent turnovers per game (17.0).

Considering both the regular season and postseason, their defensive impact is even more evident:

• 18: Postseason turnovers created per game, the most since the 1996 Bulls (min. 15 games).
• 16.4: Postseason steals + blocks per game, the most since the 1983 Lakers (min. 15 games).
• 1,689: Total steals + blocks for regular and postseason combined, the most since the 1981-82 76ers (1,813).
• 10.7: Postseason steals per game, the most since the 1975 Warriors (min. 15 games).
• 247: Total postseason steals, an NBA record.
• 1,094: Total steals for regular and postseason combined, fifth most all-time.
• 131: Total postseason turnover margin, an NBA record.
• 62: Number of games (regular and postseason) with at least 10 steals, seventh most all-time.
• 468: Total postseason deflections, 100 more than any other team in the last decade.
• 2.5: The gap in Defensive Rating between OKC (106.6) and the second-best defense (Orlando, 109.1) was 2.5 points per 100 possessions, the second-largest gap over the last 25 seasons (only surpassed by the 2015-16 Spurs` 2.6 point gap).

While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had an MVP season, defense was arguably the Thunder`s superpower. They might not always overwhelm opponents with shooting, but their defensive intensity was devastating. In Game 5 against Indiana in the Finals, they became the first team since 1974 (when these stats were tracked) to record at least 15 steals and 12 blocks in a Finals game.

Remarkably, they recorded at least 10 steals in an NBA-record 15 playoff games this postseason. For comparison, the 1977 Trail Blazers had 12 such games, and the 1985 Lakers had 10. Achieving 10 steals in a single NBA game is significant; the Thunder did it 65 times across the regular and postseason combined, a feat only six teams in history have topped.

Reaching 10 steals in a *playoff* game is even more challenging, facing elite competition. The Thunder did it in 65% of their playoff games (15 out of 23) – a truly astonishing rate. The officiating in these playoffs seemed to allow a more physical style, and the Thunder, already adept at disruption, capitalized on this to stifle opponents in a way rarely seen in recent NBA history.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander`s All-Time Season

For a team to be considered among the all-time greats, it typically requires an all-time great player leading the way. While it`s premature to label Shai Gilgeous-Alexander an `all-time great player` yet, his 2024-25 campaign was undeniably an `all-time great season.` He became just the fourth player in NBA history to win the MVP, Scoring Title, and Finals MVP in the same season, joining incredibly elite company.

Further highlights from SGA`s remarkable season:

• 12 playoff games with 30+ points and 5+ assists (NBA record).
• 10 consecutive home playoff games with 30+ points (NBA record, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain).
• 15 playoff games with at least 30 points (third all-time, behind Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon, who had 16).
• 212 points scored in the Finals (third most all-time, behind Shaquille O`Neal`s 228 in 2000 and LeBron James` 218 in 2015).

Throughout the regular and postseason, Gilgeous-Alexander was the league`s premier scorer in terms of consistency and volume. He led the league in total 20-point games (95, tied with `90-91 Jordan), 30-point games (64), 40-point games (14), and 50-point games (4). Additionally, his 32.7 PPG in the regular season is the highest scoring average for the leading scorer on a championship-winning team in NBA history.

Beyond the scoring, SGA also ranked second in total regular-season and postseason steals, showcasing his two-way impact. He is an exceptional one-on-one scorer with a deadly midrange game and is considered one of the league`s best drivers. By any measure, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered one of the greatest single seasons in NBA history, mirroring the historic achievement of the Oklahoma City Thunder as a team in 2024-25.