The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Cleveland Cavaliers — those were the two teams many believed were on a collision course for the 2026 NBA Finals before the season started. Fast forward to January and one of them has done their part. The other hasn't. It's easy to figure out who is who.
The Thunder are 36-8, sitting atop the Western Conference, holding the best record in the entire NBA. The Cavaliers are 24-20, trying to permanently climb out of the Play-In picture in the Eastern Conference.
"Injuries" is what desperate fans in Cleveland will cry out to justify the struggles.
Meanwhile, the Thunder have only gotten 24 games from both Jalen Williams and Isaiah Hartenstein this season, two of their most important players. When Oklahoma City decimated Cleveland on MLK Day in their own arena by a brutal 136-104 margin, it was not the absent bodies that stood out.
Donovan Mitchell said, "Watching them defensively, they make the little rotations. They do the little things consistently. I think that's where we've been at our best, when we do the little things consistently. ... They're elite at it. They're defending champions for a reason."
Thunder’s mastery of the little things exposed Cavaliers' shortcomings
The Thunder have the best defensive unit in all of basketball. They comfortably outpace all 29 other teams in the NBA with a defensive rating of 105.2. The closest team to them would be the Detroit Pistons, who boast a mark of 108.5.
It's the second year in a row the Thunder have shown off their brilliance on that end. They ranked first in defensive rating (106.6) during 2024-25 as well.
Meanwhile, that is a category the Cavaliers have noticeably gotten worse at. Cleveland was eighth (111.8) in 2024-25. They have dropped to a middling 15th (114.6) this season.
Things have been particularly bad of late too. During the last 10 games, the Cavaliers are 21st in the NBA when it comes to defensive rating. Their 116.2 mark has them embarrassingly sitting in company of the bottom-10 teams in the league.
Cleveland has been getting cooked on the perimeter. Whether it's a blow-by or an easy 3-point look, the Cavaliers have not done well guarding as a team or as individuals.
The talking point of not executing the little things consistently hits the nail on the head. It extends to both ends too, but the defense really is the more brutal area in which it is noticeable.
The Cavs do not have championship habits. They are a team who coasts on talent. The best teams, like the Thunder, surely understand how great they are in that department, but still show up in meaningful, often underdiscussed, ways. Cleveland does not.