The start of the season for the Oklahoma City Thunder has been almost flawless. The reigning NBA champion is showing a level of form at the very beginning of the campaign that befits a contender not only for the trophy, but also for a special place in history. On the night of November 16, the Thunder handled Charlotte on the road without much trouble – a +13 margin on the scoreboard (109:96) and a 13th win in 14 games. Logically, the team tops the Western Conference standings and is regarded as the main favorite of the season: the odds on Oklahoma to win the title sit around 3.00. But an even bolder storyline has formed around this group – the chase after Golden State's legendary 73 wins and the attempt to squeeze 74+ out of the regular season.
Race For 74 Wins: From Hot Start To Historic Challenge
The Warriors' 2015/16 record still looks almost untouchable: back then, Stephen Curry's team suffered its first loss only in the 25th game and finished the regular season with a unique 73–9 record. Oklahoma has already slipped once – a surprising road defeat to Portland by just two points (119:121) spoiled what could have been a perfect chart.
However, after that setback the Thunder put together a five-game winning streak and reignited the discussion about a potential record. ESPN columnist Zach Lowe captured the mood around the team perfectly: right now, in 2025, Oklahoma is openly following in the footsteps of the great Golden State, and the main narrative of the season has already taken shape – a pursuit of legacy.
Betting Optics: Odds Are Dropping, Expectations Are Rising
The betting market reacted instantly to the champion's start. Bookmakers are offering odds of 19.00 on the Warriors' record being broken – roughly the same slightly above 5% probability. For an event of this magnitude, that does not look fantastical at all. For context: similar chances are currently being given for the Lakers to win the title this season.
Even before the regular season began, analysts were already drawing parallels between this Oklahoma team and that Golden State side. The Thunder's regular-season win total line was set at 62.5 – the highest preseason number in the NBA over the past seven years. The last time experts rated a team's potential higher was only in 2018, when Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry were sharing the floor in the same starting five for the Warriors and their win total was set around 67.5.
Now the current total for Oklahoma has practically caught up with those figures: bookmakers are projecting 66–68 wins by the end of the regular season. In other words, even the most conservative models already admit that the reigning champion should at least get close to that historic threshold.
The Numbers Speak Louder: Why The Thunder Already Look Stronger Than The 2016 Warriors In Advanced Stats
The reason American statisticians are so boldly bringing up the topic of 74 wins lies in the advanced metrics. One of the key indicators is net rating, based on the difference between points scored and allowed per 100 possessions. In the 2015/16 season, that legendary Golden State team went through the regular season with a net rating of 10.7.
The current Oklahoma numbers look downright cosmic – around 15.4. This is not just dominance; it is the kind of gap that teams playing at a completely different level of intensity and quality usually produce. And most importantly, the champion still has a substantial margin for growth.
In the near future, Jalen Williams, one of the key players and the team's second star last season, is expected to return to the lineup. His presence will add depth to the offense, diversify the playbook, and help maintain a high level even when the primary leaders are getting rest. There is very real potential here to push an already impressive net rating even higher.
The Schedule Fuels The Dream Rather Than An Illusion
While bookmakers and analysts continue to argue about the probabilities, the schedule itself is throwing extra fuel onto the fire of record talk for Oklahoma. In the upcoming games, the reigning champion is set to face New Orleans, Sacramento, and Utah. In all of these matchups, the Thunder are already being listed as clear favorites on the betting lines.
If the team maintains its current level of play and keeps calmly collecting wins in the games where such results are expected, the hype surrounding the number 74 will grow with each passing week. Over the grind of the regular season, it is not only stars and tactics that matter, but also the ability to coolly win games that are, on paper, part of the "must-win" program.
A Chance To Write A New Page In History
The road to 74 wins remains incredibly difficult nonetheless: injuries, minor slumps, a dense schedule, and opponents' extra motivation against the reigning champion – none of this has disappeared from the NBA. But at this stage, Oklahoma has the most important combination: results, roster depth, and advanced numbers that do not contradict the dream but instead push it forward.
For now, the chances of breaking Golden State's record can be modestly estimated at around 5%. But the very fact that the reigning champion has entered the category of teams seriously discussed in the context of 74 wins already says a lot about the strength of today's Thunder – and about the kind of season NBA fans are in for.
