NEW YORK – We’re also looking at particular team flaws that were addressed and how far a franchise can expect to progress in the playoffs today, so raw victory totals aren’t always the sole indicator of improvement.

These are the five clubs who have improved the most, taking into account defeats and their offseason signings thus far.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Though there’s certainly plenty of space for improvement from a youthful squad that fell in the second round of the playoffs, only the Boston Celtics won more games than the Oklahoma City Thunder in the previous year.

Even though OKC should be in the FInals next season with to the addition of established veterans like Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso, the Thunder could have remained steady and relied on in-house improvements from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and others and still made progress.

Hartenstein (plus-11.1 swing rating, 95th percentile via Cleaning the Glass) and Caruso (minus-7.0 defensive swing rating, 93rd percentile), two of the top defenders at their positions, had a significant effect on their former teams’ success last season. Additionally, both are low usage guys who won’t inhibit the development of the Thunder’s youthful core and can make an impact without the ball in their hands.

This previous season, OKC finished merely 28th in terms of total rebound % and 13th out of 16 playoff teams. Hartenstein, who leads the NBA with a total rebound percentage of 18.5, will help OKC improve in this area. Caruso, who comes in for Josh Giddey in the rotation, raises this team’s game with his outstanding three-point shooting and defense.

While recuperating from a partly torn ACL, Nikola Topić might not play this season, but OKC’s selection of him with the 12th overall choice may end up being the draft’s best deal. The 6’6″ point guard, who may be a top-5 pick if healthy, can be built up gradually on this incredibly strong squad and provide the Thunder with a key backup option for Gilgeous-Alexander or as a potential trade chip in the future.

Even though OKC only has 57 wins from the previous season, this is a much superior squad overall and should be one of the favorites to win the championship.

Philadelphia 76ers

Joel Embiid’s health has been the primary driver of the Philadelphia 76ers’ success; when he was playing, the team won 31-8, but when he wasn’t, they only won 16-27.

Assuming the 34-year-old wing can continue to be healthy, Paul George’s signing offers some protection against more Embiid injuries.

After an All-Star season, George is the first player to join a new club during free agency since Kawhi Leonard in 2019. He should have a few successful years ahead of him before his four-year, $212 million maximum deal becomes unappealing. The 76ers improved this summer not just with the signing of George (plus-13.8 swing rating, 98th percentile via Cleaning the Glass), but also with the outstanding cap work that Daryl Morey and associates completed to assemble a team around their three stars.

One of the greatest deals of the free agency season was landing Caleb Martin on a four-year, $35 million contract. Andre Drummond, who is still one of the NBA’s finest backup centers, will probably start large portions of the season when Joel Embiid is sidelined.

Guards Gordon and Jackson are seasoned players who can still make baskets and pass the ball to teammates, and Kyle Lowry’s leadership will be evident once more.

This is a club that might win 55 games during the regular season and contend for the championship if they are even somewhat healthy.

While some teams have depth, others have star power. This 76ers team has established both with really impressive skill.

Spurs of San Antonio

We discovered last season that having both Victor Wembanyama and a reliable point guard on the court at the same moment was sufficient to produce winning basketball.

The San Antonio Spurs had a net rating of plus-5.2 (79th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass) in 2,697 total possessions while Wembaynama and Tre Jones shared the court. This rating fell to negative -12.6 (9th percentile) when both players were eliminated from the game.