Jalen Williams dissects Thunder defensive mentality: 'I'm not going to be the weak link'

Looking at all of the defensive stats — whether traditional or advanced metrics — the Oklahoma City Thunder were at the top or near it across the board. The NBA champions leaned on that side of the ball to carve out one of the most dominating seasons the league has ever seen.

The Thunder had a historic year with a 68-14 regular-season record and the Larry O'Brien trophy. Sporting a record plus-12.9 point differential, they would blow teams out left and right. To the point it'd be a surprise if they didn't win by double-digit points most nights.

The Thunder ran away from the scoreboard thanks to their defense. With a roster rich in ball-hawk perimeter defenders, they'd create a cluster of turnovers and run out in the fastbreak. When they couldn't do that, they'd play shutdown defense with an elite three-level halfcourt defense.

Continuing to enjoy their NBA championship, Jalen Williams reflected on the Thunder's all-time defense last season. He recently appeared on the "Out The Mud" podcast with Zach Randolph and Tony Allen to talk about it.

Appropriately enough, those two Memphis Grizzlies legends appreciated the nuances Williams discussed with the Thunder's defense. After all, they coined the Grit and Grind era of highly competitive squads that punched above their weight in the small-market franchise back in the 2010s.

"The defense is pride. I don't want my man to score. I don't want the team to have to cover for me. That's how it goes," Williams said. "For me, the dude in front of me — granted, some nights, you're going to get your a-- busted, that's basketball — he's going to have to work the whole time."

On a team filled with high-end defenders, Williams arguably had the most important role as the most versatile. He could press ball-handler on the perimeter and utilized his wingspan to poke the ball out of their hands. Or, he could scale up and play as the center with some of the best non-traditional rim protection in the league.

"That's the mentality our team has. I think some of it starts with Shai being a leader. Shai not being afraid to pick up and play D. It just trickles down from there," Williams said. "We also have the personnel to do it. Having Chet and Hart, throw J-Will in there, all these guys are willing to come in and be like, 'I'm not going to be the weak link.' That's how we think."

When the halfcourt offense struggled to produce in the playoffs, it was the Thunder's defense that kept them within striking distance in most games. Heck, they'd even win ugly, low-scoring affairs playing that brand of basketball. That was the side of the ball they tailored toward, and it paid off with an NBA championship and several records they broke throughout their dominant campaign.

Jalen Williams on the Thunder's culture:

"The defense is pride. I don't want my man to score. I don't want the team to have to cover for me. That's how it goes... The dude in front of me is going to have to work the whole time."

(via @OutTheMudTL) pic.twitter.com/a6SZzPRWVO

— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) August 28, 2025

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Jalen Williams dissects OKC Thunder's all-time defensive mentality