Could a West Rival Have the OKC Thunder's Kryptonite Next Season?

This offseason, the Houston Rockets bolstered its team.

After a second-seed finish but a first-round exit in their 2024-25 campaign, Houston went back to the drawing board and made some significant improvements—inking Jabari Smith Jr. to a long-term deal, picking up Dorian Finney-Smith and executing the biggest blockbuster trade of the offseason.

That blockbuster trade gave the Rockets Kevin Durant as they shipped off Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green, allowing Houston to add the 36-year-old veteran and former Thunder MVP, who'll now be alongside plenty of young, deep talent. A 52-30 record a year ago, this addition has the opportunity to put them over the edge.

Plugging Durant on a roster with Smith Jr., Amen Thompson, Fred VanVleet and Alperen Sengun, this team has a chance to move the needle.

But it's not Durant that has the opportunity to take over. Sengun has made waves, improving year after year and positioning himself as one of the top young talents in the league at 23-years old.

But beyond that, Sengun and Chet Holmgren have sparked a mini rivalry, each gritty, competitive 7-footers who clash on the inside.

As a near 20-point-per-game scorer a year ago—paired with over 10 rebounds per game and almost five assists—Sengun is a difficult matchup, even for Holmgren. Sengun and his Rockets were able to get two wins out of five contests against Holmgren and the Thunder, showing their ability to give problems to a team who ended up NBA champions.

In those two wins over Oklahoma City, Sengun put up 20 and 31 points, respectively, as well as 14 rebounds in the first bout and two in the other, often frustrating the Thunder's front court and showing his capabilities as an interior maestro.

And in Houston's first-round series versus the Golden State Warriors, Sengun had averaged over 20 points per contest on 45% shooting with nearly 12 rebounds per game in a seven-game series, where Houston would ultimately fall to the Warriors.

But as he grows from last season and acclimates to a couple new pieces on his team, Sengun has a chance to become a nuissance for Oklahoma City—is he enough to actually overcome the hump and take down the Thunder?

As of now, only time will tell. But one thing can be said, this Thunder team won't let up, and they're ever-improving just the same.