Oklahoma City Thunder tie franchise-best 7-0 start despite mounting injuries. Can they survive the West Coast gauntlet?

The Thunder maintain the league's best defensive rating while missing key rotation players including Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Alex Caruso at various points. Rylan Styles and Justin Martinez from The Oklahoman break down how Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's Player of the Week performance, Ajay Mitchell's Sixth Man of the Year candidacy, and Kayson Wallace's franchise-record 18 steals through six games have fueled this historic start.

The discussion covers Oklahoma City's challenging five-game road trip through Los Angeles, Portland, Sacramento, and Memphis, analyzing matchups against Kawhi Leonard's Clippers and Domantas Sabonis's Kings. Martinez offers insider perspectives on whether this roster has actually improved over last year's championship team through internal development rather than roster changes, highlighting Chet Holmgren's offensive evolution and Isaiah Hardenstein's playmaking consistency.

Discover why the Thunder's sustainable model of hitting on late draft picks like Brooks Barnheiser could keep their championship window open longer than expected.

 

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