After Two Contenders Rebuild, the Thunder Look Stronger OKLAHOMA CITY - Entering their game Friday in Oklahoma City, it was the Los Angeles Lakers - not the still very-young Thunder - in search of a statement win. It was the Lakers - the 16-time N.B.A. champions - who were looking to weigh themselves against the Thunder, the class of the Western Conference. In the not too distant past, it was the Thunder who looked to games against the Lakers as a measuring bar. Rewind to 2010 and it was the explosive but inexperienced Thunder pushing the eventual champion Lakers in a six-game playoff series. At that time, the Lakers were the teachers, and the Thunder the pupils. Now, it's the Thunder doing the teaching. With a convincing 114-108 win Friday, the Thunder have taken eight of the last 10 games from the Lakers, by an average margin of 12 points. The stretch includes their four-games-to-one victory over the Lakers in the second round of last season's playoffs. Both teams went through fairly substantial off-season makeovers. The Lakers didn't simply make a splash; they replaced the water in the pool by signing the free agent Steve Nash and trading for Dwight Howard. On paper, the Lakers had the most intimidating starting lineup in the N.B.A. with Nash, Howard, Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. The big-market Lakers had taken on big-money players without an apparent reservations. On the other side, the small-market Thunder were faced with difficult decisions concerning the core of their Western Conference championship team. Unable to overcome salary constraints, they traded James Harden, the sixth man of the year, to Houston for Kevin Martin, the rookie Jeremy Lamb and future draft picks. While both teams made significant roster moves, they were seemingly headed in opposite directions: the Lakers beefing up for the present, and the Thunder stepping back with an eye on the future. Instead, it has been the Thunder (16-4) who have seamlessly integrated their new players. They not only picked up where they left off last season, but by all appearances they have taken a step forward. Friday's victory was the Thunder's seventh in a row, and the 11th straight game in which they have scored at least 100 points. The Thunder were a tremendous offensive team last season, but they have reached new levels this season. Oklahoma City is scoring 111.1 points per 100 possessions (second in the league), which is up from last season's 107.1. Pretty simple, actually. Kevin Durant has become even more efficient, averaging 27 points on a career-low 16.7 shots per game. Russell Westbrook has been as brilliant as ever, averaging a career-high in assists while maintaining his scoring. Serge Ibaka has become more of a weapon and Martin has slid effortlessly into Harden's sixth-man role. Despite a substantial roster shake-up only four days before the season, the Thunder have barely showed any growing pains. That is a gift of continuity; no team has had a more stable roster over the past few seasons than the Thunder. The Lakers, however, are constantly trying to sort through obvious and significant issues. They are 9-11 and were dealt another dose of reality Friday. It would be irresponsible to ignore their injuries, specifically to Nash and Gasol, but Howard has not solved anything on the defensive end just by his presence alone. Their offense is inconsistent. Their bench is awful. And their chemistry remains a major question. Simply put: things are a far cry from their premature coronation over the summer. On Friday, the Thunder shredded a soft Lakers defense. Even though the Lakers and the Thunder are different teams than the ones that met in last year's playoffs, the results have not changed. The Lakers still can't stop Westbrook, still can't guard Durant and still have no answer for the Thunder's reserves. The question is how much of a difference will a healthy Nash make? And will his presence be enough to overcome the Thunder's current superiority? While the roles of the teams have switched, the Thunder players and coaches still say they have the utmost respect for the Lakers. There is a certain level of confidence that at some point the Lakers will get healthy and their problems will be solved. If that happens, will the Thunder be equipped to handle Los Angeles in a seven-game series? It is only December, about a quarter of the way through the N.B.A. season. There is plenty of time to get players back, to get things sorted out. At some point, though, time will run out. Friday was a clear chance to make a statement. And it was the Thunder who made it: the West very much remains theirs.