The Oklahoma City Thunder‘s journey to becoming champions has been nothing short of remarkable. Their acquisition of their star player, the league MVP, through what many consider one of the most impactful trades in history, yielded not only a top-tier talent but also a treasure trove of five first-round draft picks and two pick swaps. One of those picks was then used to draft an All-Star wing who recently scored 40 points in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. After a decade of consistent success, they navigated a brief rebuilding phase before reaching even greater heights than before.

Previously,the franchise had drafted future MVPs in three consecutive drafts. Though, this iteration of the Thunder may prove even more challenging to replicate.Their core stars complement each other effectively and are all between 23 and 26 years old. Their defensive players are versatile and cover a wide range of positions. Wiht no player older than 31 and no notable draft capital spent to acquire them, the Thunder are uniquely positioned. While other teams contemplate sacrificing future assets for a championship run, the team that won game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday possesses a substantial surplus of them. This situation is unprecedented.

While rival general managers might aspire to replicate Oklahoma City’s championship-winning formula, they may be setting themselves up for disappointment. However, dismissing the Thunder’s approach entirely would be equally unwise. The 2025 champions possess the talent to compete in any era, but their victory this year was largely due to their ability to overcome the specific challenges of today’s game.

The Modern NBA: A Physical Battleground

“It’s a complete slugfest out there right now, something resembling the basketball of my youth in the late ’80s, early ’90s.”

According to Philadelphia 76ers general manager DARYL MOREY,teams need to prioritize forcing turnovers and acquiring bigger,younger,and more athletic players to succeed in the modern NBA. The increased physicality of the game demands it.

“It’s a complete slugfest out there right now, something resembling the basketball of my youth in the late ’80s, early ’90s,” MOREY said during an interview on The Rights To Ricky Sanchez. “And you need to get easy baskets, and that’s going to come through uptempo, offensive rebounding. And you just need to be able to sustain the high level of intensity for a whole game.”

MOREY suggested that the Sixers were not built for “the new MMA NBA,” referencing the increased grabbing and holding that often goes uncalled. The Thunder, however, were well-equipped to handle this physicality. With LU DORT and ALEX CARUSO,they boast two of the league’s top point-of-attack defenders,and their team defense has become synonymous with the term “swarm.” while they may not have revolutionized defensive schemes, their approach in the pace-and-space era is remarkably effective.