The Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets have fully validated the expectations placed upon them to start the 2025-26 season, emerging as the top two seeds in the Western Conference. Moreover, their success is anchored by their respective cornerstones, Shai Gilgeous Alexander averaging 31.9 points per game, while Nikola Jokic is leading the league in rebounds and assists and also averaging a triple-double over his first 13 appearances.
However, according to Gilbert Arenas, their brilliance has become so routine that it no longer generates the excitement it should. Additionally, with fans and media members being accustomed to their stellar consistency, Gil laughed at how both these teams receive far less attention than they warrant.
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Arenas says no one cares about the Nuggets and Thunder
The Nuggets and the Thunder operate with a similar identity – a disciplined, methodical and relentlessly focused approach to winning. Both these organizations have patiently developed a solid roster around their core superstars and have placed a solid structure under which all players operate. However, for Gil, the emotional pull of the league often lies with large market franchises such as the Los Angeles Lakers.
On an episode of his podcast, Gil explained how Jokic dropping a game-impacting triple-double is far less entertaining than perhaps Austin Reaves dropping over 30 points to steer the Purple and Gold to victory. Put simply, Gil contends that the Nuggets and Thunder are such consistent forces that their wins feel inevitable; on the other hand, the unpredictability around teams like the Lakers draws heightened interest.
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“Are we just going to be honest? Are ya’ll going to be spewing this bulls—t? What’s he (Jokic) averaging? What’s their (Nuggets) record? Who is in front of them? OKC? And they have not been in no motherf—ing bodies top anything of topic. No one cares,” Arenas said on his show. “I’m just gonna be honest, they aren’t flying under the radar, they are under the radar. No one cares. You got two MVP candidates doing what they do every year, no one cares. Austin Reaves scores 25 (points), that’s better than Jokic’s triple-double.”
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This is why deserving teams do not get the attention they deserve
What this perception overlooks, however, is the value of sustained excellence. The remarkable steadiness displayed by Denver and OKC should place them at the forefront of national media coverage. Their playing style, organizational decisions and extraordinary dependency on their stars merit broader visibility. However, these narratives often remain overshadowed by the storylines emerging from major markets. As a result, cornerstone players such as Jokic and SGA, who are the driving forces behind their teams’ success, do not always receive the level of recognition typically rewarded to the best players of a generation.
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Safe to say that to correct this imbalance, former players turned analysts and the faces of new-age media like Arenas should allocate greater attention to teams whose excellence is built on consistency and discipline; rather than focusing predominantly on large-market teams with superstar-driver narratives.
This could be why modern-day fans are more inclined to follow stars who prioritize the entertainment factor rather than attaining success.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Nov 20, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.