Thunder defense leads the NBA in several team statistics

It's no secret that the OKC Thunder were an elite defensive team entering their final NBA season. Even though it's only four games in, OKC's combination of defensemen and forwards has made life challenging when attacking the basket and passing around the rim.

As a defensive unit, the Thunder lead the NBA in both steals and blocks per game, averaging 13.8 steals and nine blocks so far.

Guards Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Cason Wallace are the leaders in steals on OKC. Wallace is entering his second year in the NBA and is known for his intense on-ball defense. Despite his great defensive year in his rookie season, he's already looking much better. Along with Gilgeous-Alexander, he recorded 2.5 assists per game.

Aside from those two, former Chicago Bull and defensive maestro Alex Caruso averages 2.3 steals, followed by forward Jalen Williams and guard Ajay Mitchell at 1.5 per game. The majority of the Thunder roster has shown the ability to sack defenders on the ball and keep passing lanes off the ball. The Thunder currently rank second in the NBA with 16.2 deflections per game, just behind the Memphis Grizzlies.

Forward Chet Holmgren has established himself as one of the league's best shot blockers early in the season, averaging 3.5 per game across all teams. He doesn't seem afraid of blocking shots at the moment, showing he's willing to take on bigger defenders like San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama. Holmgren appears to be a completely different player than last year and has improved in almost every category.

Gilgeous-Alexander was also a solid shot blocker as a guard in four games. He records 1.5 per game and also shows significant defensive improvement compared to previous seasons. Caruso also participated in shot blocking, scoring one goal per game.

With all the steals and deflections, the Thunder are leading the league in forced turnovers per game. The team works together as well as it can as a defensive group. In their last game against Spurs, they forced 22 turnovers while only managing 10 turnovers themselves.

OKC's defense has made life difficult for opposing offenses, and even when teams score, there aren't many easy balls.

Because of this concept, the Thunder lead the NBA in defensive rating, a measure that evaluates the efficiency of defending players. Too many Thunder guards have done a solid job defending the ball against effective opposing guards, and if that continues all season, OKC will continue to rise in the league and build a reputation for its strong defense.

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