ESPN research shows OKC Thunder among elite teams based on continuity

Ranking high on a list is now common for the Oklahoma City Thunder, but just two years ago, the franchise was at the bottom of the barrel on most lists. This included the most important one: the best teams in the NBA.

The Thunder’s rebuild is virtually over, barring an unforeseen collapse next season. However, initially entering this phase helped the team compile the assets it has today, starting with a multitude of star-quality players on the cusp of transitioning to bonafide All-Stars.

Entering the 2024-25 season, OKC’s plan to relaunch its perennial title status — one that started five years ago — will give them a big advantage in another key category.

Elite continuity

In the wake of the NBA’s superteam era, it has been widely recognized that simply throwing together any talent permutation isn’t enough to contend for and win championships. Now, perhaps with how the game has transitioned to making the extra pass to the perimeter for an open 3-point shot, continuity between teammates can be the difference between a borderline-good team and a great one.

Take last season’s Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks, for example. After a failed chemistry experiment between Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving in the 2022 season, a full offseason, training camp, preseason, and regular season together for both stars transformed the duo’s once awkward pairing into an NBA Finals-level one.

The Thunder, meanwhile, return all their players from the 2023 season, minus the recently dealt Josh Giddey, giving the franchise one of the most coherent groups in the association.

Recently, ESPN’s Neil Paine ranked all 30 NBA teams’ continuity, which was based on the following criteria:

“To measure this, we'll look at a team's combined ranking across two different dimensions: the share of minutes played and the share of estimated RAPTOR wins above replacement (WAR) for the franchise from the previous three seasons (weighted by recency, such that last season gets a weight of 6, the year before that a 4, and the year before that a 1) from players on the team's current roster. NBA teams with a high ranking in each share — meaning they brought back more of the players who logged minutes and generated value for the team in recent seasons, especially in 2023-24 — have the greatest continuity.”

The Thunder ranked fourth in roster continuity. They ranked sixth in the share of three-year minutes returning (70.4%) and third in the share of three-year WAR returning (92.3%).

Helping the Thunder’s ranking was adding just two players over the summer: Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso. As a pair of niche contributors, both can play designated roles while allowing others to operate uninterrupted.

OKC will put this level of continuity to the test next season as it opens up the first season as the favorite in the West in over a decade.

Related: Julius Randle reportedly on the trade block—should OKC make an offer?