The West Is No Longer a Thunder-and-Spurs Conference

S³ NBA COVERAGE

November 12, 2026 | Sweet Science Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder have a problem, and it goes beyond losing two consecutive games to the Portland Trail Blazers.

For the past couple of seasons, Oklahoma City built its reputation on something most NBA teams couldn't match: depth. They could defend, run, rotate fresh bodies into games and maintain their intensity without depending on one or two players to carry the entire workload.

That was the luxury of having one of the deepest rosters in basketball.

They don't have that luxury right now.

Portland made that painfully clear.

The Trail Blazers didn't just beat Oklahoma City. They beat the Thunder twice in two nights, winning 123-103 on Tuesday before following it up with a 118-108 victory Wednesday.

That's a 30-point difference over two games against a team that once appeared to have an answer for almost everything.

And Portland isn't the only team Oklahoma City needs to worry about.

Oklahoma City's Greatest Strength Is Now Its Biggest Concern

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is still one of the best players in basketball. His 31-point performance Wednesday was another reminder of that.

But Shai was never the only reason Oklahoma City became so dangerous.

It was the players around him.

Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace, Ajay Mitchell and Jaylin Williams gave Oklahoma City different ways to attack teams and, more importantly, different ways to defend them.

That combination made the Thunder difficult to deal with over 48 minutes.

Now those players are unavailable, and the difference is becoming noticeable.

Against Portland, Isaiah Hartenstein produced 20 points and 11 rebounds. Alex Caruso contributed 14 points. Oklahoma City still had enough talent to compete, but the Thunder couldn't sustain their effort when it mattered most.

The bench was outscored 34-22.

That's the part Oklahoma City needs to pay attention to.

The Thunder once wore teams down with their depth. Now they're being forced to depend on players who wouldn't ordinarily have to carry such a heavy responsibility.

Injuries are part of basketball, and Oklahoma City isn't the only team dealing with them. The question is whether the Thunder can remain among the West's best while waiting to get healthy.

Because the competition isn't going to wait.

Portland Just Made a Statement

Deni Avdija was outstanding Wednesday, finishing with 28 points, six assists and four steals.

Damian Lillard added 18 points, while Jrue Holiday and Sidy Cissoko contributed 19 apiece.

Portland shot nearly 46 percent from the field, knocked down 19 three-pointers and made 25 of its 26 free throws.

The Trail Blazers were simply the better team when the game was on the line.

And what makes these victories even more impressive is that Portland wasn't completely healthy either. Ja Morant and Shaedon Sharpe were unavailable.

For years, Portland was a team Oklahoma City expected to beat. The Thunder had won 19 of their previous 20 meetings with the Trail Blazers before this two-game sweep.

Now Portland has given the rest of the conference something to think about.

This isn't a team that needs to be treated like an easy night on the schedule anymore.

The Western Conference Has Changed

The Lakers are winning. Houston is winning. Minnesota is winning. Portland is winning.

And San Antonio continues to look like one of the strongest teams in basketball.

The difference this season is that Oklahoma City and San Antonio aren't separating themselves from everybody else.

The Lakers have opened 11-2. The Spurs are 10-2. Houston is 9-3, while Minnesota and Portland are both 8-3.

Oklahoma City, meanwhile, has fallen to 8-4.

That's not a terrible record. Far from it.

But it does show how little room there is between the contenders.

The Lakers have the offensive firepower to challenge anybody. Houston has become a legitimate threat. Minnesota has the talent and physicality to make life uncomfortable for opponents, while Portland is developing the confidence of a team that believes it belongs in the conversation.

And then there's San Antonio, with Victor Wembanyama continuing to establish himself as one of the NBA's most imposing players.

The Spurs haven't disappeared from the top of the conference. They've simply gained more company.

The Thunder Are Still Dangerous, but They're No Longer Comfortable

Nobody should be writing Oklahoma City off in November.

When Holmgren, Williams and the rest of the rotation return, the Thunder could regain much of what made them so difficult to beat.

But that's the point.

Oklahoma City needs those players.

The Thunder's success was never built on Gilgeous-Alexander alone. Their ability to go deep into the rotation without sacrificing defense, energy or production separated them from most of the NBA.

Take enough of those pieces away, and even a great player like Shai has a much more difficult job.

Portland exposed that over two nights.

Other Western Conference teams will be looking to do the same.

The Thunder haven't lost their championship potential. They've lost the comfort of knowing their depth can bail them out when things aren't going well.

And in a Western Conference where the Lakers, Spurs, Rockets, Timberwolves and Trail Blazers are all making noise, that comfort might be the difference between controlling the conference and fighting to keep up.

S³ Assessment: Oklahoma City is still a contender, but the days of treating the West like a two-team race between the Thunder and Spurs are over. Too many teams are playing good basketball, and too many are capable of winning against the conference's best.

The Thunder don't need to panic.

They do need to get healthy.

Because the West isn't waiting for them.