OKC Thunder Makes Unprecedented Three-Year Improvement Among 80-Game Winners

The 2024-25 Oklahoma City Thunder set NBA records for regular-season point differential (+1,055), overall point differential (+1,247), regular-season turnover differential (+435) and overall turnover differential (+566). Along the way, it racked up 68 regular-season wins and 16 playoff victories, including Game 7 of the NBA Finals on June 22, for the third-most single-season wins by any team ever.

Oklahoma City also set new benchmarks with 64 total double-digit wins and 33 total wins against the Eastern Conference. It reached championship success extremely quickly compared to most great teams, as the only current players on the Thunder's 24-win 2021-22 roster were Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Kenrich Williams.

The Thunder improved linearly to reach the mountaintop, which is not necessarily the norm for title winners and contenders. Oklahoma City acquired Jalen Williams, Jaylin Williams and Isaiah Joe to add 16 wins and a 2023 Play-In Tournament loss. It brought in Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace for 17 more victories and a narrow 2024 second-round loss. Finally, the 2025 champion bolstered its rotation with Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso to spark 11 more regular-season wins — making staggering progress for a No. 1 seed.

Among the 14 previous 80-win teams in league history, the 2014-15 Golden State Warriors came closest to matching Oklahoma City's three-season improvement. They went 23-43 during the 2011-12 campaign, on pace for 29 full-season wins, and racked up 67 on their way to a first championship in 40 years behind breakout seasons from MVP winner Stephen Curry, All-Star Klay Thompson and Defensive Player of the Year runner-up Draymond Green.

Only the 2015-16 Warriors (88), 1995-96 Chicago Bulls (87) and 1996-97 Bulls (84) met or exceeded last season's Thunder in total victories. All three squads were postseason teams three years earlier and won at least one playoff round, with the 1992-93 Bulls completing the franchise's first of two three-peats that decade by taking down the 62-win Phoenix Suns in six games.

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