After going 6-6 in their last 12 games, it’s safe to say that OKC is on the struggling side of the game, and one of their main issues is crashing the glass so far.

Despite starting strong for the 2025-26 season, and even having predictions that they would beat historic records such as the 72-10 Bulls and the 73-9 Warriors, it seems that the Oklahoma City Thunder are on a tough stretch. What was once seen as an invincible juggernaut is now apparently capable of bleeding.

The Thunder went 24-1 to start off the season. From that point, there were a lot of expectations for the team, such as reaching a 77-5 record at the very least. Since then, OKC has dropped six games in the last 12 games, which is definitely a stunning sight, especially for the defending champions.

Sure, there are a lot of hiccups to address for every team in the regular season. However, it is worth noting that the Thunder have come back to square one with the same issues they had in the 2023-24 season – rebounding.

That’s the same issue that led them to lose to the Dallas Mavericks in six games, simply because the latter had bigger players to field. They lost the battle of the boards every single time, and now it seems that the OKC is going back to that problem once more. Only this time, the stakes are higher, and a title defense is on the line.

The Thunder Need To Crash the Glass

OKC’s dominance in the Eastern Conference ended with a whopping defeat to the Charlotte Hornets. It’s definitely time to raise the alarm for the Thunder. In the last two games, the champs have been outrebounded 101-62 in the last two days, which says a lot about how their games have been far from the usual ones.

Defense is never an issue for the Thunder. After all, they are the best defensive team in the league by a mile. However, that’s been really exposed in the past few weeks, and now it seems that they will have to figure out how to shake up their identity and somehow get off the “championship hangover”.

No one ever predicted the Thunder losing by 20 against any team in the NBA. Isaiah Hartenstein was acquired by OKC in the 2024 offseason to address those rebounding issues. However, it goes without saying that they aren’t bulky enough to stand alone without him.

Let’s be clear. Chet Holmgren is a great player in his own right. He’s been doing a great job of keeping the center spot manageable for OKC. He’s even capable of coming up with a great defensive stretch when manning the middle. However, he isn’t bulky enough to rival what IHart has to offer, which certainly proves that they need to get him back.

What’s OKC's Plans Moving Forward?

The Thunder certainly can’t force Hartenstein to return right away from his calf injury. The next man up was supposed to be Thomas Sorber, who is redshirting this season with OKC. Other than that, the next man who could be up for that position is Jaylin Williams, who also remains injured at this point.

Remember, not long ago, Oklahoma City didn’t have a true center for a long stretch, with Holmgren, Hartenstein and Williams out with respective injuries. This season wasn’t supposed to be easier for the Thunder. In fact, it should be harder. Remember the time that Jalen Williams played some games as the center for OKC? Yeah, that was real.

Don’t look away. OKC has a way of finding solutions to a lot of issues. We’ve seen how champions become vulnerable for quite some time. However, it’s worth noting that not every game has to be won for the Thunder. It’s just the fact that there’s a strong need for the defending champs to meet expectations now and then.

Still, they have all the time in the world. For a Thunder fan, you can actually remain optimistic about a lot of things. For starters, beating the 73-9 record is still feasible. OKC just doesn’t have to lose two more games to at least match the record.

The first step, however, is to address that rebounding issue before it gets out of hand.