The Oklahoma City Thunder are fresh off of a hard-fought, two-game stretch against the Denver Nuggets that saw each team come away with a win.
On Sunday night, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander turned in another 40-point performance to help OKC secure a 127-103 win against the Nuggets. The next day, Nikola Jokic finished with 35 points, 18 rebounds and eight assists, pushing Denver past the Thunder with a 140-127 victory.
The two leading MVP candidates battled on the court, but after the second game of back-to-back contests, the reigning Michael Jordan Trophy winner had high praise for Oklahoma City. When asked by Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman what his experience was like with the Thunder's coaching staff at All-Star Weekend, Jokic complimented the organization.
"Great, I mean the whole coaching (staff)" Jokic said. "Maybe that was the highlight of All-Star. I was in the locker talking to those guys and I think I learned a lot. Even yesterday, I think I learned a lot. how disciplined they are. They know exactly what they want to do, on both sides of the floor. ... If you are a true basketball fan, you should appreciate them."
Jokic's praise comes not only after a two-game stint against the Thunder, but also after a clip of the superstar center speaking with OKC head coach Mark Daigneault went viral on social media during All-Star Weekend.
Praise has been heaped on the Thunder all season by media members, and deservedly so. The team is 53-12 on the year with one of the youngest, yet deepest, rosters in the NBA.
Still, hearing such high praise from a three-time MVP winner is another indication that Oklahoma City has a special group that is firmly in the mix of championship contenders this season. 65 games into the 2024-25 campaign, the Thunder boast a league-leading 107.1 defensive rating and a 12.6 net rating.
Daigneault's group is also No. 1 in Basketball Reference's "simple rating system" metric, which is described by the website as, "a rating that takes into account average point differential and strength of schedule. The rating is denominated in points above/below average, where zero is average."
Led by Daigneault, who was named the NBA's 2023-24 Coach of the Year, the Thunder have been one of the best teams in the league over the past two seasons and will be in the mix as title contenders this season.
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