Brian Windhorst has been one of the most vocal supporters of the Oklahoma City Thunder this season, and his latest comments on First Take highlight just how much disrespect the team continues to receive despite its dominance.
Windhorst expressed frustration over the dismissive attitude many players and analysts have toward OKC, emphasizing that teams around the league do not fear facing them in the playoffs—a sentiment he believes is completely unwarranted.
“I don’t mean to be the guy who has to defend Oklahoma City day in and day out on this program. I’m not even arguing that they are a lock or one of the great teams of the last decade. But my God, there is an incredible amount of disrespect for this team.”
“I hear it every day. I hear it implicitly from other people I talk to in the league. I hear it implicitly from players out there who are like, ‘Yeah, yeah, we’ll be fine as long as we’re on the same side of the bracket as Oklahoma City.’ They just don’t respect them, and I ask—why?”
“Look, this team isn’t perfect. If you want to make a case for why they have flaws, go ahead. And yes, they have a problem tonight because Jaylen Williams, their second-leading scorer, is out.”
“I think the Celtics are just going to double-team Shai when it matters. But this team is awesome. They defend. They dominate on that end of the court.”
“Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is absolutely one of the most efficient scorers we’ve seen in this era. This guy scores 30 points without breaking a sweat, and he does it every single night. He leads the league in free throws.”
“He scores when he can rest. He scores without using a lot of energy, so he always has energy left in the fourth quarter.”
“They have length. They have depth. They have size. They have matchup versatility, and they can switch on all the wings. This team is absolutely capable of winning a championship.”
“Now, I get it. They’re the youngest team in the league. And in any sport, people are never going to fully respect the youngest team. I’m not expecting people to cower from them. But my God, I can’t believe how little respect is given to a team that won 57 games last year and is on pace for 65 or 67 wins this year.”
The numbers back up Windhorst’s defense of the Thunder. They currently hold the best record in the Western Conference at 53-12, with a staggering 11-game lead over the second seed.
The gap between the second seed and the eleventh seed in the West is only 12 games, showing just how far ahead OKC is compared to the rest of the field. Despite this, they are not being talked about in the same breath as other title contenders like the Denver Nuggets, Boston Celtics, or Los Angeles Lakers.
Much of this disrespect likely comes from their lack of playoff experience, but ignoring what they have accomplished this season is absurd. Oklahoma City has been nothing short of dominant, particularly on the defensive end.
Their defensive rating of 106.1 is by far the best in the NBA. To put that into perspective, the gap between the Thunder and the second-best defensive team, the Orlando Magic, is 3.3 points. That same gap of 3.3 points is the difference between the Magic and the 13th-ranked defensive team. This means OKC’s defense is in a different tier than every other team in the league.
Beyond their overall defensive rating, the Thunder lead the NBA in nearly every key defensive metric. They are number one in steals, number one in forcing turnovers, and number one in preventing opponents from scoring off turnovers. They allow the fewest fast-break points and the fewest points in the paint.”
Additionally, they rank first in opponent field goal percentage and opponent three-point percentage, showing that their defense is effective both on the perimeter and inside. They also force the most deflections, recover the most loose balls, and draw the most charges. Simply put, they are an absolute nightmare for opposing offenses.”
Yet, what makes the Thunder even more terrifying is that they aren’t just a defensive juggernaut. They are also the fourth-best offensive team in the league, making them one of the most well-rounded squads in the NBA.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been playing at an MVP level, averaging 32.7 points per game while leading the league in scoring, free throw attempts, and efficiency. His ability to score effortlessly while conserving energy for clutch moments makes him one of the most dangerous offensive threats in the league.
Oklahoma City’s dominance this season should command respect, yet the prevailing narrative suggests that they are still an unproven team heading into the playoffs. Windhorst is right to call out the league’s lack of appreciation for what the Thunder are doing.
They aren’t just a good story—they are a legitimate title contender that every team should be worried about. Whether or not the rest of the league fears them now, they may soon have no choice but to respect them if OKC makes a deep playoff run.
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