Oklahoma City has been taken off its pedestal early in the season. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder have had an unfortunate start to this year’s season. While the team has a solid record of 5-2, the injuries that OKC has suffered have already put the season at risk. Both Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace could easily miss the full season, and Chet Holmgren is expected to miss up to 10 weeks. This, of course, is not what the Thunder needed at all, and could easily hurt their chances of making the Finals, just like it did last year. 

These injuries have taken such a toll on the Thunder squad that they have fallen heavily in the latest power ranking made by ESPN. Oklahoma City fell from No. 1 all the way to No. 10 in this ranking, and it’s all because of the team’s injuries. Injuries to Wallace, Williams, Holmgren and even Alex Caruso have put a huge dent in the Thunder’s defense. The article explains that over the past four games, the Thunder are third-to-last in points off turnovers, a stat that the Thunder have led in the past three seasons. 

Such a dramatic decrease in the number of points off turnovers is killing one of the biggest parts of OKC’s game. The future seems to be brighter in this aspect, as Caruso is expected to return to action, and Holmgren will eventually, but that still leaves a gap where Williams and Wallace were. 

Wallace was considered one of the best defensive players in the nation last year and was a menace for any guard controlling the ball. He averaged 1.9 steals per game and was a main reason the Thunder caused opposing teams to turn the ball over so much. Now, with him out for the season, OKC will have to adjust. 

Other players have the capability to do the same as Wallace did, as Ajay Mitchell is averaging 1.4 steals so far this season, but the Thunder will have to continue to strive for more. Oklahoma City has the capability to prove everyone wrong and ascend to the top once again; it will just have to do so while missing some of its key talent. 

Only time will tell if the Thunder can turn it around and get back to the top of the league, but OKC will have to do it quickly and can’t just wait around for the return of its stars.