First in the Western Conference! Without the two main players, the Thunder have 3 wins and 0 losses. Alexander is upgraded and wants to build a dynasty!

The Thunder defeated the Hawks 117:100 in an away game. After this battle, the team's record reached 3 wins and 0 losses, ranking first in the Western Conference. Moreover, this record was obtained without two major players. The team's current state is to establish a dynasty.

In the past 3 games, the Thunder defeated the Rockets, Pacers, and Hawks respectively. These games were full of gold. Although the team played 4 overtimes in a row against the Rockets and Pacers, in the end it was the Thunder who had the last laugh. Ting, this is what a championship team should have, and this team is currently showing a state of winning regardless of who is missing. It can also be said to be an invincible state. They really have the ability to build a dynasty. Let's take a look at the following aspects to know where the Thunder's confidence lies?

1. The team's strength is growing every day, and it can grow even if it lies still

Alexander is only 27 years old this year, Harteng is 27, Jaylen Williams is 24, Holmgren is 23, Dort is 26, and even Caruso, known as the team's veteran, is only 31 years old. The average age of the team is only 25.6 years old. You must know that in the NBA, a player's peak period is often 27 or 28 years old, and most of the Thunder's players have not yet reached their peak. This also means that the strength of the entire team has been growing. It is already a championship team and its strength is still growing. What is this concept?

This is just like gaining weight. Some people eat various nutritious meals every day but can't gain weight, while some people can't stand it even if they eat noodles and steamed buns. Lei Lei is the latter. You can gain weight by drinking water. You don't need to do anything, and your strength keeps growing.

2. Good draft vision and strong ability to cultivate new players

The really scary thing about this team is that they have an excellent management. In fact, the most important thing for the NBA to be able to win consecutive championships or build a dynasty team is that the team management has a very outstanding vision. Whether it is in terms of trade or draft, players introduced to the team can perform well, and the Thunder have this trait.

For example, in today's game, Mitchell scored 14 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Last season he averaged only 6.5 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. But when the team needed it this season, he stepped up and currently averages 18.7 points, 4 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. This means that the Thunder have added another powerful player to the championship team.

When looking at all the players in the Thunder, basically none of them performed very poorly when they were drafted. For reference, the Los Angeles Lakers' first-round picks for two consecutive years have all lost value. This is a naked gap.

3. There are many draft picks, a lot of room for adjustment, and they are not afraid of luxury taxes

The Thunder had 2 first-round picks in 2026, 2 first-round picks in 27, and 1 first-round pick each in 28 and 29. In total, there are 6 first-round picks and 10 second-round picks, which is enough chips.

Looking at the Thunder's salary space, Alexander is only 38.33 million this year and 40.81 million next year. The real high salary, which exceeds 60 million US dollars, is in the 27-28 season.

Harten’s salary this year is 28.5 million, and next year he will have a team option of the same amount, which means his salary will not change.

Dortmund’s salary this year is 18.22 million, which is exactly the same as Harteng. It is a team option next year and the salary will not increase.

Caruso's salary this year is 18.1 million and next year it will be 19.55 million. Similarly, his salary fluctuation is also very small.

Jelenwei’s salary this year is US$6.58 million, and it will rise to US$41.5 million next year.

Holmgren’s salary this year is US$13.73 million, rising to US$41.5 million next year.

Overall, the Thunder have no salary pressure at all this season and do not need to pay luxury tax at all. The next season, Jaylen Way and Holmgren will have a relatively large salary increase. At that time, the Thunder's salary pressure was a bit high, but it was only in the first year, and the salary cap will also increase accordingly. Although there is pressure, it is not that exaggerated compared to other teams, and it is completely bearable. Moreover, the team has many draft picks, which can be traded to reduce salary pressure.

4. Deep foundation and strong fault tolerance

In the first three games of this season, Jaylen Way has been unable to play due to injuries, and Caruso has also not played, but the team has achieved three consecutive victories. It's rare for a team to win without much impact without two major players. Compared to other teams, it is difficult to do this. This kind of fault tolerance is necessary for a championship team. They have the ability to wait until the injured return.

Moreover, this team is young as a whole and has no serious injury risks. As the saying goes, the NBA champion is often the one who wins. The champion is not necessarily the strongest team, but it must be the team that can persist to the end. The Thunder can do this.

5. The management is very high-quality, which is the team’s biggest trump card

In fact, the Thunder’s biggest advantage is their general manager Presti, which is the most important factor for a championship team. Looking at NBA history, why have the championships been taken away by the Celtics and Lakers? There are so many outstanding players in NBA history, is it possible that they all went to these two teams? Apparently not. The real reason is that their front office has the ability to build a championship roster.

To give a very simple example, the Lakers just won the championship in 2020. Pelinka directly dismantled the championship lineup with one operation, and then introduced 40 million Westbrook. Just imagine, if it was not Westbrook who was attracted, but Turner and Hield, wouldn't the Lakers be able to win another championship in a few years? Looking at the Warriors, they first introduced Iguodala, then Durant, and finally Wiggins. All the players they brought in can be of great help. And Presti can do this, he is the Thunder's confidence.

6. The further back they go, the less opponents they will have

There is currently a popular saying that the Thunder's salary will explode and they will not be able to carry it. But in fact, this statement is wrong. If they cannot carry it, other teams will not be able to carry it first. Their pressure is not the greatest.

The Lakers will basically disband next year. After James leaves, the team will also set its sights on 27 years and pose no threat.

The Warriors will be 1 year older next season. How old are they? Will it still pose a threat to the Thunder? Obviously not.

The main problem facing the Nuggets is that Jokic will soon receive a high salary of more than 70 million US dollars. Who is under pressure?

The same goes for the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference. They have begun to face huge luxury taxes this year. If there are no results this season, they will inevitably be disbanded.

The Celtics have been disbanded in advance, Holiday is gone, Pozin is gone, and the team has begun to slowly rebuild.

The only team that can pose a threat to the Thunder is the Rockets, but VanVleet is injured this year. I don’t know what it will be like next year. Compared with the Thunder’s steady play, it is still almost boring.

So, the last thing I want to say is that other teams are strengthening, only one position, or two positions, while the Thunder are getting stronger in almost every position. In addition, the team has multiple draft picks, a lot of room for operation, and excellent management assistance. From any angle, the Thunder's lineup is very healthy, can develop sustainably, and is already a champion. If this continues, they can really build a dynasty.

First in the West! Without the two main players, the Thunder have 3 wins and 0 losses. Alexander is upgraded and wants to build a dynasty!