The Oklahoma City Thunder are less than a month away from starting their campaign to claim their second NBA title in a row. With all eyes on them, they will be expected to produce the same caliber of efficiency they did last year and possibly even more. 

While another championship might be the expectation for OKC, there is a reason the last eight NBA titles have been held by different teams. Going into the 2025-2026 NBA season, the Thunder have multiple factors they will have to push past if they want to bring their second title home. 

Although injuries are impossible to avoid completely, the Thunder have to limit the severity of injuries and make sure the next man is ready if they do occur. 

Injuries can derail teams’ hopes of contending altogether. For example, the 2023-2024 NBA champions Boston Celtics, had their season practically end when Jason Tatum ruptured an Achilles tendon during the playoffs. 

Last year, OKC dealt with multiple injured players, including Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein and Nikola Topic to name a few. The Thunder, however, used the depth of their roster to not lose traction as the season went on. The Thunder will have to utilize this depth once again, as rookie Thomas Sorber is already out for the year with a torn ACL. 

It was obvious that the rosters in last year’s NBA couldn’t handle the Thunder, but unfortunately, those rosters have already changed. Every team went about the draft process, but some took the offseason seriously in trying to acquire players to combat the Thunder.

The Houston Rockets added former Thunder player Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns to try and secure the final piece of the puzzle after finishing second in the regular season, but still losing in the first round of the playoffs. 

The Dallas Mavericks followed suit as they secured Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pick, but also signed Dennis Smith Jr. and D’Angelo Russell to play alongside Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis. 

Every team’s goal is to win a championship. So this season, every team’s goal is to take down the Thunder. Every team is circling its calendars when it plays Oklahoma City, and that’ll be consistent throughout the league.

The Thunder will have to deal with game plans made specifically for them just so opposing teams can say they beat Oklahoma City. OKC’s championship might’ve been a blessing last year, but it’s also a curse when everyone wants to take it away.