As the NBA season approaches its midway point, fans and analysts alike are starting to see which teams are the best in the league.
Basketball Hall of Famer and NBA on TNT analyst Charles Barkley believes the best team in the NBA resides in the Western Conference.
More specifically, in Oklahoma City.
“OKC is the best team in the NBA…They’re not even healthy,” Barkley said via “Inside the NBA” on Tuesday night.
“OKC is the best team in the NBA” 😳 pic.twitter.com/KHLuGJP6C3
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) January 8, 2025
The Oklahoma City Thunder are in first place in the Western Conference with a record of 30-5.
The next closest team in the standings is the Houston Rockets, who are 6.5 games back of the Thunder.
Barkley is right to believe in the Thunder, especially when you consider how young and talented they are.
Guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is an MVP candidate, currently averaging 31.3 points per game, which is good for third in the league.
Thanks to Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, multiple team members are seven feet tall or taller.
Veteran players like Alex Caruso and Luguentz Dort give this team an edge on the defensive end, too.
If this well-rounded team continues on its current trajectory, it could reach the NBA Finals later this season.
The organization has won one championship, which came in 1979, when the team was formerly known as the Seattle SuperSonics.
Of course, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden came close to guiding the team to a title back in 2011.
But yes, it has been a long, long time since the team had real championship aspirations.
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