The NBA offseason has a certain unofficial schedule cadence every year.
After the championship is won and the dust from the winning city's parade is settled, things shift quickly to the NBA Draft. That immediate excitement is a shot of basketball adrenaline for the other 29 teams that didn't win the Larry O'Brien Trophy. Summer League is next up on the docket. Things move swiftly to free agency, which features the rush of surprise Shams Charania notifications detailing player signings or, even better, team trades.
Then you get to the dull dog days of the NBA summer. A workout video featuring a non-shooter lighting it up in an empty gym here, a fun engagement or wedding announcement of a player there. Possibly a few updates on an ongoing cap circumvention investigation. Maybe even the shocking retirement of a fan favorite living legend (here's looking at you, Russell Westbrook). And right when you think there's no more offseason hoops morsels to chew on, fans get hit with one more news drop.
The updated NBA2K rankings.
The bestselling basketball video game just revealed their Top 100 rankings for the upcoming NBA2K27. And it's a mixed bag for Oklahoma City Thunder fans.
OKC superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander edged out Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic to clinch the crown of the game's top ranked player. The #1 spot is well deserved, of course. He is the back to back Most Valuable Player and is only one year removed from an NBA Championship and Finals MVP. Technically, Gilgeous-Alexander, Wembanyama and Jokic are all tied with a 97 overall rating, but the official release from NBA2K lists the Thunder guard at the top.
Thunder fans have deserved beef with the rankings of Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, however. The two other members of OKC's Big 3 somehow were not ranked in the top 40. Holmgren checks in at #42 with an 86 overall rating. Williams clocks in at #45 with an 85 overall rating. Mind you, both players have been named an All-Star, All-NBA and All-Defense while also being the second and third best players on a title team in the past two seasons.
Incredibly, OKC had seven total players on the list. Isaiah Hartenstein is #82 with an 82 overall rating, Ajay Mitchell is #83 with an 82 overall rating, Cason Wallace is #91 with an 81 overall rating and Alex Caruso is #93 with an 81 overall rating.
It's fair to criticize a few of the Thunder player rankings. Williams and Holmgren in particular are way off base. But it's a testament to the talent of the team that despite trading away three rotation players this summer that OKC still has so many members of the roster ranked in the Top 100 of the league.
Including #1.