The Oklahoma City Thunder have appeared in the new year

During the first part of the 2022-23 campaign, the Oklahoma City Thunder were much better than expected. At the end of 2022, Oklahoma City was 15-21 with a -1.6 net rating to that point. The team was clearly on a different level than the league’s bottom teams, sitting 12th in the Western Conference and just a few games away from the play-in tournament.

After a New Year’s Eve game against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Thunder had a top-10 defensive rating (112.1) in the NBA, but a top-five offensive rating (110.5). Oklahoma City was in the bottom half of the league in overall field goal percentage and efficiency from behind the arc.

At the turn of the calendar year, the crime completely turned around. Oklahoma City has only played four games in 2023, but has been one of the best teams in the entire NBA.

While some of the Thunder’s metrics are inflated by a 150-point performance in a blowout win over the Boston Celtics, they have posted a league-high offensive rating of 125.8 on 50% shooting from the floor (6th in the NBA) and 45.1% from deep (2nd in the NBA). They have also completed 27.8 assists per game, an average of four more per game than before the turn of the calendar. This is good for the top five in the NBA in assists.

Although the defense has dipped slightly due to penalty kicks, to 113.8, it hasn’t mattered. Oklahoma City’s 12.0 net rating in 2023 is the best in the league and has led to a 3-1 record over their last four games.

In that span, the Thunder have gotten 67.8 points per game from the trio of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort and Josh Giddey.

Rookie Jalen Williams has also emerged as a very impressive piece, averaging 13.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists per contest. He also took things up defensively, producing 2.8 assists and one block per game over the last four.

Finally, Kenrich Williams has been a key part of the Thunders recent success. He played undersized center minutes with all the injuries Oklahoma City faced. He averaged 11.0 points and 6.8 rebounds per game in 2023 with ridiculous efficiency. He knocked down 80% of his 3-point attempts and 100% of his free throws.

After a hot start to this new year, the Thunder are 18-22, just 1.5 games out and 2.0 games out of the No. 6 seed and a guaranteed playoff spot.

The level of play seen by the Thunder over the last four games is certainly not sustainable, but it’s yet another impressive performance from the NBA’s youngest team this season.

Facing a tough four-game road trip next week, Oklahoma City could be firmly in the playoffs if the team returns to Oklahoma City on a positive note.

• January 10: Miami Heat
• January 12: Philadelphia 76ers
• January 13: Chicago Bulls
• January 15: Brooklyn Nets

After this trip, the season is more than halfway over and the Thunder could have more than 22 wins. At the start of the season, they were projected to win a total of less than 24 games in 2022-23, which shows how much better they have been than expected.