OKC Thunder's Elite Defense Isn't Finished Evolving Yet

Forbes

18 hours ago

Last season, on their path to winning an NBA championship, the Oklahoma City Thunder had one of the greatest defenses of all time. Not only did OKC lead the league in Defensive Rating by a wide margin all season, but that end of the floor drove the Thunder's historic point differential and one of the most successful regular seasons ever from a record and Net Rating standpoint.
With that in mind, there's undoubtedly another level this Thunder defense can get to. As great as it was last season, there are still a few tangible things that Oklahoma City can improve on in the upcoming season on that end of the floor.
It's certainly nitpicky to analyze how a historic defense could be better, but it's not out of the question that there is another gear.
For starters, the easiest thing to point to is health. While Oklahoma City was healthy in the postseason, the regular season was a completely different story. This is especially true in the frontcourt, given Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein each missed significant time. The time they missed was also staggered, so the opportunity for both to play alongside each other and anchor the defense at an elite level was limited during the regular season. Furthermore, Alex Caruso not only missed time, but was also load-managed throughout the season to ensure he was healthy and in peak form for the playoffs.
In addition to simply being healthier — which would lead to even higher upside on the defensive end — this is still a very young team that's developing. Holmgren will continue to improve defensively, despite already being one of the best rim protectors in the entire NBA. Cason Wallace will have another opportunity to take a leap on that end of the floor and continue proving he's arguably the most underrated defender in the entire league. And several others could step up and get better. There's a real scenario in which the Thunder has five or six players who are in the conversation for an NBA All-Defensive Team, if healthy.
In terms of the on-court aspects that the Thunder can improve year-over-year on the defensive end, one key area to examine is defensive rebounding. Both in the regular season and in the playoffs, the Thunder's rebound rate was far from good. This made Oklahoma City susceptible to allowing second-chance points to opponents, which was certainly an area the team struggled with overall last season.
Another glaring issue, which is somewhat schematic, is that the Thunder's defensive style allows a high volume of corner threes, which is one of the most efficient shots in the game of basketball. Again, much of this is due to the Thunder's defensive system, which tends to apply pressure at the point of attack, push ball handlers beyond the perimeter, and pick players up high above the break. But regardless, allowing corner threes is a glaring weak spot in the Thunder's defense. If a team finds a way to exploit that, it could become a real issue. Ultimately, the Thunder forces so many turnovers with the style the team plays, that corner threes generally aren't too concerning. But in theory, if a team in a seven-game playoff series found a way to generate a high volume of corner threes — and convert on those — it would certainly be something Oklahoma City would have a hard time overcoming.
The last thing that Oklahoma City could, in theory, improve upon on the defensive end is finding more defensive disruptiveness deeper into the rotation, especially from players who have already proven themselves on the offensive end but are sometimes less impactful defensively. There were times in the playoffs in which players like Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins — as impactful and vital as they were on the offensive end — struggled defensively. With the way Oklahoma City plays, it takes all five guys being effective in their roles, making crisp rotations, and the right reads on the defensive end of the floor. Even if one player fails to meet that expectation, it can severely hinder the team's ability to defend at an elite level. Expect Ajay Mitchell to bring more to the Thunder's reserve unit defensively in the upcoming season, as he is now healthy and more experienced, with a high likelihood of being called upon to do more in his second season.
It will be hard to maintain the elite level of defensive production and efficiency that the Oklahoma City Thunder did last season. Even being close to as good as the team was in the 2024-25 campaign again should be good enough to lead the Thunder to another top seed and a potential championship. But the fact that there are still several tangible ways this historic defense could get even better is something to keep an eye on this upcoming season, as the best team in the league could organically be even better.