ESPN article labels the Thunder as best under-25 team in the league

Serge Ibaka, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are all still under 25. / Photo by Sarah Phipps, The Oklahoman

In a recently released article by ESPN Insider Amen Elhassen, ranking the NBA’s best under-25 teams, the Thunder expectedly came in at the top spot.

That’s not shocking. OKC has two of the top 10 players in the league, regardless of age, and when you lower the requirements to those who can’t rent a car without hefty insurance bumps, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook could make a strong case for being the two best.

Kyrie Irving, Derrick Rose and James Harden have an argument, but none of the three play together. That’s what ascends OKC right toward the top of Elhassen’s list.

But with two other established youngsters (Serge Ibaka and Reggie Jackson), plus some promising developmental pieces (Jeremy Lamb, Steven Adams and Andre Roberson), the Thunder easily flies above the rest (although the comment on Perry Jones III potentially being ‘Durant-lite’ seems a bit unrealistic).