With the Thunder’s hot start, NBA Hall of Famer and current TNT analyst Charles Barkley recently made a bold statement about them. “OKC is the best team in the NBA,” Barkley said. “Shai Gilgeous is flat out balling and they’re not even healthy. That’s what’s scary.”

Injuries in Dallas, drama in Miami and a superstar returning for the Clippers impact the latest ranking of all 30 NBA teams.

Wednesday night’s game features the only NBA teams with 30 victories and MVP candidates Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Donovan Mitchell.

The Thunder locker room has seen existential dread. Playoff losses to Dallas brought it closest. Wednesday’s 129-122 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers wasn’t that. Wednesday was the first time in a while that OKC was outplayed in a meaningful fourth quarter.

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Two of the NBA's best teams, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers, will face each other on Wednesday (7 p.m. on ESPN). Cleveland boasts a 31-4 record, best in the league, while Oklahoma City is right behind the Cavs at 30-5.

Oklahoma City's recent wins against the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks have catapulted the Thunder to championship contenders in the eyes of national media.

The two best teams in the NBA, the West-leading Oklahoma City Thunder and East-leading Cleveland Cavaliers, face off for the first of two meetings this month on Wednesday, Jan. 8 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland.

The Oklahoma City Thunder head to the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse to face the Cleveland Cavaliers in a non-conference matchup between the top two teams in the NBA. The Thunder are 30-5 overall, and 13-3 on the road, at the top of the Western Conference. The Cavs are 31-4 overall, and 18-1 at home, at the top of the Eastern Conference.

The superteams era is over. Deep rosters, versatile lineups and a relentless style of play are proving to be the best path to success.

Spotify | YouTube On this episode of the Kevin O'Connor Show, Tom Haberstroh hops on to discuss the instant classic between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder and of course the latest trade rumors as we inch closer to the deadline.