After many national NBA media members predicted the Oklahoma City Thunder to finish at the bottom of the league, the team led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander surprised the NBA world with their performance in the Play-In tournament, ultimately eliminating the New Orleans Pelicans.

Despite the delayed NBA debut of rookie Chet Holmgren, players like Jalen Williams, Jaylin Williams, Kenrich Williams, Josh Giddey, Lu Dort, Poku, and many more contributed significantly, elevating OKC to a competitive level.

In this video essay, let's dive into 23 insights we gained about this astonishing team and how it has established a promising path for the NBA's brightest young future.

0:00 OKC's Upcoming Offseason
0:40 The Thunder Got Better
1:38 Thunder's Player Development History
2:02 The Development of Josh Giddey
3:11 The Mid NBA Season Growth
3:56 SGA is a Superstar
5:35 NBA 50 40 90 Club
5:58 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's Defense
6:28 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey
6:45 Sam Presti's Reveal
7:03 Isaiah Joe's 3 Point Shooting
7:21 Oklahoma City Thunder's Three Point Shooting
7:46 OKC Leads the NBA in Charges
8:24 The Identity of the Thunder
8:42 Jaylin Williams
9:08 Lu Dort Shows Up
9:23 This OKC Team Was The Youngest In The NBA
9:29 Rookie Jalen Williams is a Monster
10:04 Kenrich Williams and The Thunder
10:30 Chet Holmgren is Healthy
10:54 Aleksej Pokuševski Got Better
11:19 Aaron Wiggins Saved Basketball?
11:36 The Potential of Ousmane Dieng
11:58 An NBA Team To Appreciate
12:30 A Fun NBA Future