The top team in the Western Conference is asserting its dominance. This franchise, which hasn`t claimed an NBA title since the 1970s, is spearheaded by a 26-year-old guard fresh off securing his first MVP award. It nearly reached 70 wins, boasted a double-digit point differential, and clinched the Western Conference Finals in five games.
Naturally, this description brings to mind the 2014-15 Golden State Warriors, who, a decade ago this week, embarked on the first of their five consecutive trips to the NBA Finals.
Yet, these very same characteristics accurately describe the 2024-25 Oklahoma City Thunder, who earned their place in the Finals with a decisive 124-94 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Thunder aren`t merely a typical finalist; they are a historically dominant team, and their path mirrors that of the Warriors a decade prior through a series of uncanny resemblances.
Midway through the 2010s, predicting the Warriors – who hadn`t yet reached the conference finals in the Stephen Curry era – would become the decade`s defining force seemed improbable. However, they solidified that status through persistent Finals appearances. Similarly, the Thunder hadn`t reached the conference finals in the early 2020s, but they are now positioned to potentially dominate the remainder of the decade and perhaps establish a comparable dynasty.
Both organizations also made crucial trades prioritizing defense as they constructed their rosters. While the timelines aren`t perfectly aligned, the Warriors traded the talented guard Monta Ellis because he was a less effective playmaker than Curry, and an elite defender like Bogut better fit the team`s needs. Similarly, the Thunder traded the talented guard Josh Giddey to the Chicago Bulls, deeming him not as effective as Gilgeous-Alexander, and recognizing that an elite defender like Caruso was a better fit for their rotation.
Golden State and Oklahoma City navigated remarkably similar paths through the playoffs en route to the Finals, despite initial doubts about their ability to translate tremendous regular-season success to the postseason. Recall the widespread commentary a decade ago suggesting a 3-point heavy team like the Warriors couldn`t win in the playoffs? This echoes the narrative this year questioning whether opponents genuinely “feared” the Thunder due to their lack of previous championship experience.
The 2015 Warriors and 2025 Thunder both swept the No. 8 seed in the first round, each securing a significant comeback victory in Game 3. Golden State rallied from a 20-point fourth-quarter deficit in New Orleans – highlighted by Curry`s incredible tying 3-pointer over Anthony Davis – while Oklahoma City overcame a 29-point disadvantage in Memphis.
Subsequently, both teams faced a severe challenge against a seasoned, playoff-tested opponent in the second round, falling behind 2-1 in their respective series. The Warriors rebounded against the “Grit `N Grind” Memphis Grizzlies to win in six games, while the Thunder utilized multiple fourth-quarter comebacks to defeat the recent champions, the Denver Nuggets, in seven games.
Both teams employed an innovative defensive strategy – the Warriors assigned Bogut to “guard” the non-shooter Tony Allen, while the Thunder tasked Caruso with defending three-time MVP center Nikola Jokic – strategies that paved the way for their series victories.
And in the conference finals, facing teams led by rising star guards (James Harden of the Houston Rockets then, Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves now) and multi-time Defensive Players of the Year at center (Dwight Howard then, Rudy Gobert now), both the Thunder and the Warriors emerged victorious in five games.
Perhaps the two teams` analogous trajectories are a consequence of their similar statistical profiles. The Warriors are often remembered for their offensive brilliance as pioneers of the 3-point revolution, but their first championship squad was actually stronger defensively. Golden State ranked first in defensive rating and second in offensive rating, mirroring the Thunder`s ranking first defensively and third offensively this season.
Both teams conceded significantly more free throws than they attempted, yet they led the league in points generated from turnovers and possessed the capability to overwhelm opponents with sudden scoring surges.
Perhaps the most significant connection between these two dominant teams, looking at the broader picture, is that the best was yet to come for Golden State, a scenario that may also apply to Oklahoma City. In hindsight, it`s clear that the Warriors` magical 2014-15 season was merely the beginning of something extraordinary, rather than the pinnacle. They achieved even better point differentials in 2015-16 and 2016-17 and secured multiple additional titles after their initial one.
Similarly, it`s easy to envision an even more successful season for the Thunder in the near future, given the youth of their core and their roster flexibility. The Thunder could also benefit from improved injury luck. They maintained a 70-win pace when at least one of Holmgren or Hartenstein was available but experienced less successful stretches when both big men were sidelined this season.
After all, the Thunder already set the NBA record for point differential this season. With another year of player development, is it truly difficult to imagine them challenging for the regular-season wins record (73) next year, especially considering the Warriors set that benchmark the year after their first Finals appearance?
However, two primary obstacles could potentially hinder Oklahoma City from establishing a dynasty comparable to the Warriors` of the last decade. Firstly, the NBA`s new salary cap apron rules might necessitate a premature dismantling of the Thunder`s elite depth.
To keep their championship roster intact for the long term, the Warriors led the NBA in payroll during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, incurring a combined $86 million in luxury tax payments across those two years. A decade later, the question isn`t only whether Oklahoma City`s ownership is willing to spend so lavishly, but whether additional apron restrictions might entirely preclude that possibility.
Secondly, the Warriors extended their dominance by signing Kevin Durant in his prime.
It`s interesting to speculate how their dynasty might have unfolded had Durant signed elsewhere or remained with the Thunder in 2016. It`s not as if the Warriors would have collapsed without him; they had just won 73 games and likely would have secured the title that year were it not for Draymond Green`s Finals suspension.
However, Cleveland arguably fielded the strongest team of the second LeBron James era in 2017 – those Cavaliers started the playoffs 12-1 en route to the Finals – and Western Conference contenders like the San Antonio Spurs and the Rockets were on the rise. Golden State likely wouldn`t have reached five consecutive Finals without Durant.
Regardless, Durant`s move to Golden State represented an unprecedented situation in league history, creating arguably the greatest team ever seen: the 2016-17 Warriors, who steamrolled through the playoffs with a 16-1 record.
Unless the Thunder win the championship *and* manage to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer, imagining a comparable transformative move for Oklahoma City is unrealistic. By itself, this difference might be sufficient grounds to doubt the Thunder`s capacity to dominate the latter half of the 2020s to the same extent Golden State defined the 2010s.
However, the Thunder possess one advantage the Warriors lacked. Aside from Durant, Golden State didn`t substantially add to its core once its championship run began. Of the top 10 Warriors in total playoff minutes during their five-year dominant stretch, eight were already with the team when the 2014-15 season commenced. The only exceptions were Durant and Kevon Looney, who joined the team in the summer of 2016 through free agency and the draft, respectively.
Golden State made minimal use of the draft after acquiring Curry, Thompson, Green, and Harrison Barnes between 2009 and 2012. Due to various trades, the Warriors made only three draft picks across the six drafts from 2013 through 2018. Looney proved successful, but Damian Jones and Jacob Evans did not. They also traded for players like Jordan Bell, Patrick McCaw, and Nemanja Nedovic on draft night, none of whom developed into long-term contributors.
In contrast to the Warriors, the Thunder hold an abundance of draft picks, arguably more than they can realistically utilize. This includes all their own future first-round picks, plus selections or swaps from teams like the Miami Heat, LA Clippers, Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers, Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets, and Dallas Mavericks. This extensive collection provides Oklahoma City with numerous opportunities to build around its young core – an necessity given the salary cap challenges faced by deep, star-laden teams in the modern NBA.
The idea of a dynasty in Oklahoma City still seems distant, given they have yet to win their first title. However, they are heavily favored to do so, and if they succeed, they will be in a stronger position to extend their reign than any recent champion.
After outlining a column`s worth of similarities, this context might represent the most significant *difference* between the 2015 Warriors and the 2025 Thunder. Golden State emerged into the spotlight as the latest iteration in a long line of NBA dynasties. From 1999 through 2014, every NBA Finals featured either the Lakers, Spurs, or Heat, and repeat championships were the norm rather than the exception.
In stark contrast, as Oklahoma City ascends the league`s competitive hierarchy, the NBA is poised to crown its seventh different champion in the past seven years. No defending champion has advanced beyond the second round since the 2018-19 Warriors.
Nevertheless, the stage is set for the emergence of the next great NBA dynasty. The Thunder`s strategy is evident: they are following the blueprint established by the Warriors a decade prior. They have assembled a gifted core with a fitting supporting cast. They have successfully navigated the necessary playoff challenges. And they appear ready to define the 2020s, much like the Warriors became synonymous with the NBA throughout the 2010s.