This Thunder team is full of championship potential

The polarization in the NBA this season is a little serious. The weak teams have established their own bad pattern early, while the championship teams are thundering and showing the style of a strong team at the beginning of the season. To be honest, many teams are competing for the championship this season, including traffic teams such as the Lakers and Warriors, as well as unpopular dark horses such as the Raptors and Pistons.

Of course, there is currently only one most dominant team, and that is the defending champion Thunder.

In the last three games, the Thunder defeated the Trail Blazers by 29 points, the Jazz by 32 points, and the Kings by 14 points. They have ushered in a nine-game winning streak, with a record of 17 wins and 1 loss, and a winning rate of 94.4%. They are the only team in the league that has not lost at home, with a home record of 8 wins and 0 losses. By maintaining such a record, they really have a chance to surpass the winning rate record of the 2016 Cosmic Warriors.

From a statistical point of view, the Thunder ranks among the best in many statistics, ranking 4th in the league in scoring average of 122.6 per game, ranking first in the league in steals averaging 10.8 per game, ranking first in the league in free throw shooting rate of 84.9%, ranking first in the league in defensive efficiency of 103 points, and ranking first in the league in scoring points using turnovers at 24.9 per game.

Defense is the main theme of the Thunder. They have strong defensive players and are very good at fighting; their inside strength is not as good as that of other teams. The twin towers of Chet and Hartenstein are full of dominance at the basket. While the defense is top-notch, the Thunder are also particularly good at fast-break counterattacks. They can easily seize the opponent's mistakes and convert them into their own points. In addition, solid basic skills and accurate free throws also laid the foundation for the Thunder's winning streak. Their free throw shooting rate is more than 10 percentage points higher than the Bucks, who are at the bottom of the league.

In fact, the Thunder dynasty has already begun, but many people don't admit it, thinking that they are too young and don't have many superstars. The only players on the team are Alexander and Jaywe, who have made four All-Star appearances in total, and the other players have only just debuted. Compared to the Bulls led by Jordan and Pippen, the Lakers led by OKC, and even the Space Warriors 10 years ago and the Heat Cavaliers led by James, this Thunder is almost boring no matter how you look at it.

Furthermore, many people don't like Alexander's style of play. They feel that he is not domineering enough. He likes to make fouls and stand on the free throw line to score. This method is not pleasing and does not have the dominance of a superstar. But to be fair, causing damage is also a way to score. Which of the super scorers in NBA history, such as peak Harden and peak Embiid, does not rely on free throws?

Moreover, Alexander averaged 9.3 free throws per game this season, which is less than Doncic, Antetokounmpo, and even Reeves; the Thunder have dominated the regular season Western Conference for three consecutive years and ranked first in the Western Conference for three consecutive seasons. There is another statistic: the Thunder have reached the first place in history. This season, their net efficiency (points difference per 100 possessions) is as high as +16.3, making them the first team in history. Ranked second is the 1995-1996 Bulls, with a net efficiency of +13.4; ranking third is last season's Thunder, with a net efficiency of +12.8.

Let the Thunder really play against the Jordan Bulls and the Universe Yong. I don’t know who will lose or win, because this is a comparison between Guan Gong and Qin Qiong; but the terrible thing about the Thunder is that there are almost no weaknesses. The position, fast break, three-pointers, stars, bench depth, and chemical reactions are all top-notch, and the fault tolerance rate is too high.

For Alexander, he is fully qualified to be a superstar. He won a Grand Slam honor last season, winning the championship + scoring champion + MVP. Compared with two or three years ago, the current Alexander continues to evolve. His scoring power is more explosive, and he has repeatedly scored 50+ points in a single game. In the early days, Alexander was known for his stable scoring, basically scoring 20 or 30 points in every game. Now he rarely pulls his hips, and he can occasionally explode. So far this season, Alexander has averaged 32.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game. This is data obtained when half of the games are clocked in three quarters.

In addition, compared to previous years, Alexander has also developed three-pointers. This season, his outside shooting rate is as high as 41.2%, setting a new high. In the early days, he mainly focused on mid-range.

In comparison, other teams in the league that are also aiming to compete for the championship have opportunities, but their shortcomings are obvious.

For example, the Nuggets, as can be seen from their recent upset loss to the Kings, their bench depth is too poor, they rely too much on main players such as Jokic, Murray, and Gordon for scoring, and there are too few role players who can attack independently. For example, the Rockets lack a point guard to control the court. Van Jordan's injury makes it even worse. There is basically no defender who can organize. For example, the Lakers' perimeter defense is too bad. When James, Doncic, and Reeves are on the court at the same time, the defense cannot be guaranteed.

Although the Pistons, the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference, have won 12 consecutive games, they are younger than the Thunder. Moreover, the Pistons play a reckless style and are particularly strong in confrontation. There is a risk of injury, and they may also suffer in the playoffs. It’s just the Thunder, and you can’t find any obvious shortcomings. Do you think the Thunder can defend the title?