2024-25 was a truly remarkable season for the OKC Thunder.<\/p>\n
On top of the fact that they won the franchise’s first title of the Sooner State era, and were spearheaded by superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who became just the fourth player to win the NBA scoring title, regular-season MVP, and NBA Finals MVP all in the same season, Oklahoma City rattled off the fourth-best record in league history at 68-14.<\/p>\n
What makes these accomplishments all the more impressive is the fact that the Thunder were able to flourish despite being absolutely ravaged by widespread injuries all throughout the campaign.<\/p>\n
Now, heading into their follow-up season in 2025-26, the expectation is clearly that they will be the favorites to run it back as champions — their +225 odds of doing so<\/a> clearly show how confident the odds-makers are in their chances of repeating.<\/p>\n However, with health hopefully more on their side than it was last year, there’s an overwhelmingly realistic chance that the Thunder could enter an elite, all-time territory that only two other clubs since the NBA’s inception have ever ventured into.<\/p>\n OKC Thunder could easily become third team to win 70+ games<\/p>\n As noted, the Thunder were bombarded by injury woes all throughout their championship-winning season last year. Nine of the team’s core players missed 10 or more games, while five were sidelined for north of 20.<\/p>\n Two focal point starters in Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein were shelved for 50 and 25 games, respectively, and suited up for a mere 17 regular season games together, 37 if you include playoffs.<\/p>\n Still, despite all this, coach Mark Daigneault was able to will this team to a 68-win season, a mark that just seven other squads have either met or surprassed.<\/p>\n With this in mind, it should be assumed that, if health stays on their side, 69 and, perhaps, 70-plus wins is well within reach.<\/p>\n The only teams to have topped the latter win total are the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls (72) and the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors (73), both of whom are teams that this Thunder club is regularly found linked to as they pursue their coveted dynasty status.<\/p>\n As ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said earlier this summer<\/a>, “”it ain’t like they went all-in to get to 68 last year.”<\/p>\n