3 Teams the Magic are competing with for the best defensive rating in 2024-25

2. The Oklahoma City Thunder

The young Oklahoma City Thunder finished the regular season with the fourth-best defensive rating across the league and posted an even better rating in the playoffs. Chet Holmgren's size made it incredibly difficult for opponents to score on the Thunder in the paint, and they had several strong defenders on the perimeter.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished the season tied with De'Aaron Fox for the most total steals recorded. Lu Dort is widely regarded as one of the best wing defenders in the league, even though he did not make an All-Defensive team this season, and Jalen Williams is incredibly versatile on that end of the floor. Cason Wallace has also shown immense promise off the bench.

As they get older, this team will only get better on both ends of the floor, and they also made some significant moves this summer. Swapping Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso gives the Thunder another incredibly talented and more veteran perimeter defender. Dealing with a potential starting lineup of Caruso, Dort, Williams, Gilgeous-Alexander, and Holmgren will be a defensive nightmare to deal with.

The Thunder might very well enter the season as one of the favorites to win the Western Conference as well as one of the favorites to post the best defensive rating for the season. This is a team the Magic will have to deal with for years to come. Fortunately, they are not in the same conference.