The Northwest Division has been greatly competitive as of late, but that’s not stopping this historic Thunder team from crafting another feat this season.
Oklahoma City is on a historic tear this season as an enhanced extension from a year ago. Being the youngest team to claim the top seed in the Western Conference last season, Oklahoma City has now one-upped that as the team has captured its most wins in franchise history with seven games left to go.
In the driver’s seat to take the best record across the entire league, it’s been noticed what this Thunder team is capable of, and it’s only a matter of time to see just what it can do in the postseason.
Though, recognizing what Oklahoma City has managed this season is pertinent to reflecting on what, statistically, has been one of the best demonstrations of a regular season in league history. Yes, league history.
By net rating, the 2024-25 Thunder sit atop the greats. The 1995-96 Chicago Bulls, 1996-97 Chicago Bulls to the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors, the Thunder is tied for the top net rating of all time at 13.4 with just a bit left to go in the regular season.
But at base level, the Thunder is dominating its peers. Peers who have given them fits in recent years, if not dismantled them during the short-lived period of Oklahoma City’s rebuild.
The Thunder has forged the largest gap in Northwest Division history, its inception being in 2004. Oklahoma City has separated itself from the next team up in the division by 16.5 games, as the Denver Nuggets sit in second with a 47-29 record. Additionally, the Thunder hold an 11-4 record against division rivals this season.
The second largest gap was forged in 2015-16 by the Kevin Durant-led Thunder, managing an 11-game advantage over the second-placed Portland Trail Blazers. Denver managed the same advantage several years after that in 2022-23. But no team has came close to the dominance in the division such as this Thunder team.
It’s impressive to see. The Oklahoma City Thunder organization has yet again curated a wildly successful team in such a short amount of time, and again with a very young team. Not just a very young team, the youngest team in the entire association.
And these young guys are making waves, history and invaluable memories heading into the 2024-25 playoffs.
