With big wins over contenders, the Thunder have officially arrived

The Oklahoma City Thunder havearrived.

After playing in their maidenNBA Finals appearance 12 years ago, the team who drafted and playedthree future NBA MVPs together (Kevin Durant, James Harden andRussell Westbrook) has once again assembled a contender. This time,they're looking to remain competitive for years to come.

Considering how young the teamis, it may seem that the Thunder are way ahead of schedule. Theyare the second-youngest team in the league but are playing withmaturity way beyond their years.

OKC currently has a 23-9 recordnearly halfway into the season, which is good for second-best inthe Western Conference. They have won eight of their last ninegames, beating juggernauts like the NBA-leading Boston Celtics,Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets (twice) during thatstretch.

Against the Celtics, the Thunderhad 34 assists on 48 made field goals, shooting above 50% from thefield and 45% from the three-point land led by their youngstars.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hadanother big-time performance with 36 points, 7 assists and 6rebounds to further enhance his MVP candidacy thisseason.

Jalen Williams helped close outthe Celtics down the stretch. He put together crucial buckets inthe fourth quarter, including a step-back jumper, dunk andcontested floater in the lane, as well as two clutch free throws toice the game.

When the Thunder are discussed,the focus is usually on the insane number of future first-roundpicks that Sam Presti has stockpiled. However, they deserve creditfor what they are accomplishing this season and it's very possiblethat the Thunder will be a contender sooner than later.