{"id":831798,"date":"2026-07-28T17:05:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T17:05:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/831798\/"},"modified":"2026-07-28T17:05:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T17:05:09","slug":"okc-thunders-starting-five-is-looking-to-prove-they-deserve-to-be-deemed-the-best","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/831798\/","title":{"rendered":"OKC Thunder’s Starting Five Is Looking To Prove They Deserve To Be Deemed The Best"},"content":{"rendered":"

When the game is on the line, Oklahoma City can put the best possible squad in the NBA on the floor, well, almost.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With this year\u2019s NBA offseason being one of the most hectic in recent years, rosters all throughout the league look completely different. Some teams have definitely improved for the better, while other teams have seemed to have fallen behind.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Bleacher Report<\/a> recently came out with its ranking of every NBA projected starting five for next season, and although they are near the top, this offseason has placed another team above them, according to the sports outlet.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Bleacher Report predicts that Cason Wallace <\/a>will fill the starting spot for the Thunder that was left open by the departure of Lu Dort. While he might not be the Thunder\u2019s best available player, Wallace fills the spot the best due to his lockdown defensive play. Now with a starting five of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein and Wallace, the Thunder\u2019s starting five is still full of stars ready to take the league by storm.\u00a0<\/p>\n

However, Bleacher Report listed OKC\u2019s starting five as the second best in the league. The squad topped the starting five of both teams that made the NBA Finals, with San Antonio ranking sixth and the Knicks ranking third, but it\u2019s the newest East powerhouse that grabbed the top spot.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Philadelphia 76ers sit at the No. 1 spot, as they added both Jaylen Brown and LeBron James to their starting lineup. While these two, along with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, are a star-studded cast, the names can\u2019t match up to what the Thunder squad has proven.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The article did give OKC credit by saying that if Williams can stay healthy<\/a> this year, then that alone might be enough to push the team over the edge and make it the best starting lineup in the league.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Even if the Thunder\u2019s starters really do rank No. 2, that isn\u2019t what makes a championship run. As mentioned in the article, the Thunder\u2019s biggest strength is the depth of its roster. Five players alone don\u2019t secure you a championship, and the Thunder\u2019s 2024-25 championship was a prime example of this.\u00a0<\/p>\n

OKC\u2019s starting five will have all next season to prove this list wrong, but in the end, it will be looking for another trophy to add to its case when it is all said and done. <\/p>\n

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