Terrible! Not only do the Thunder have to defend their title, but they also have four first-round picks next year to compete for the No. 1 pick.

The Thunder easily defeated the Lakers 121-92 today and won 4 consecutive victories. Currently, they continue to lead the league with 12 wins and 1 loss.

As of now, the Thunder rank first in the league in both record and net rating (+15.5). Only the Nuggets (+13.3) and Rockets (+11) have double-digit net points per game. But the Thunder did it without second-in-command Jaylen Williams not playing yet. The defending champion is the clear favorite to win the championship. Head coach Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has sat on the sidelines in the fourth quarter 7 times in 13 games this year! He played 219 minutes and scored 218 points in November, and he deserves to be the MVP favorite.

What’s even more frightening is that the Thunder have four first-round picks in 2026: the first-round picks of the Clippers and Jazz have both been given to the Thunder. According to the current record, the first-round picks of the two teams are expected to fall at the 7th and 9th picks, and the probabilities of winning the No. 1 pick are 7.5% and 3.8%. In addition, the first-round picks of the 76ers and Rockets were also given to the Thunder. The Thunder can either retain the draft pick to win the top pick, or they can add mid-season reinforcements to maximize their chances of winning the championship.