Fans have come to expect that domination over the course of the season, as the Thunder are outscoring opponents at a historic rate. With an 8.5 game lead on the entire Western Conference, Oklahoma City is outscoring opposing teams by 13.

CBS Sports is the latest to throw flowers at the Thunder's feet. Sam Quinn ranked all 30 NBA front offices following the 2025 trade deadline. The mid-season semi-holiday gives contenders one last chance to make outside improvements and rebuilds another opportunity to sell high and collect draft assets.

In the long run, the Minnesota Timberwolves will be glad McDaniels has not lost any aggression in this stretch, shooting 4.7 threes per game compared to just 3.7 in the 48 games before Randle’s extended absence. In the short term, McDaniels just keeps missing, and it costs the Timberwolves.