SGA's Rivals Aren't Players. They're All-Time Greats with OKC Thunder Wire’s Clemente Almanza

The Oklahoma City Thunder lost in the Western Conference Finals last year. Then they traded Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, and Isaiah Joe.

And Clemente Almanza still thinks the window is wide open. In this episode of the Hoopsology Podcast, the lead writer for OKC Thunder Wire breaks down a roster that enters the year as a co-title favorite with the Spurs.

Those three exits were not a teardown. Sam Presti called them a quarter of last year’s rotation minutes, cost-cutting moves to stay out of the second apron.

Almanza walks through what that actually means: Cason Wallace taking Dort’s starting spot, Ajay Mitchell coming off a breakout year (and a series where he made Austin Reaves a non-factor), and a bench that now has to replace three guys who helped win the franchise’s first title. Then he goes somewhere spicier.

On Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Almanza’s line is simple: his rivals aren’t active players anymore. They’re the all-time greats.

Back-to-back MVP. Thirty-plus points on elite efficiency for four straight years.

The all-time record for the longest 20-point streak, past Wilt Chamberlain. Almanza puts this era’s faces in one group — SGA, Jokić, Wemby, Luka, Giannis — and argues the greatness is not being appreciated the way Steph’s 2010s, Kobe’s 2000s, or MJ’s 1990s were.

The hate, he says, is the proof. We also get the real variable for 2026-27: health.

Chet Holmgren said at media day that the hamstring issues cleared around mid-June. Jalen Williams was basically a non-factor in last year’s run, and Ajay Mitchell missed most of the West Finals with a calf strain.

Almanza’s read is blunt. This is title or bust, it has been for three or four years, and if SGA is healthy they should still walk to 60 wins and a top-two seed.

He also flags Utah and Dallas, and Cooper Flagg, as the West teams worth watching behind OKC and the Spurs. 🏀 Subscribe to Hoopsology for smart, insider-level NBA and WNBA conversations every week. 💬 Is SGA already in the all-time conversation, or is that too early? Drop your take in the comments. #OKCThunder #SGA #NBANews Learn more about your ad choices.

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