Which Player Will Lead OKC's Bench in the Playoffs?
The Thunder bench has proved crucial to its success through the season, but the true bench leader has yet to be finalized ahead of the playoffs.
The Oklahoma City Thunder is gearing up for its first playoff run in four years and likely doing it as a top-three seed in the Western Conference.
There have been so many reasons for the team playing at this level. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's MVP-level play, Jalen Williams' sophomore jump, Chet Holmgren's fantastic rookie campaign and its success from the 3-pointer. However, an underrated area is the bench lineup, which has held its own throughout the season and contributes in valuable areas.
It's a mix of talent that has played in Oklahoma City for years as well as newer additions, but there is a select few that are clear contenders to be the bench's "leader" once the playoffs roll around.
Isaiah Joe, Cason Wallace and Gordon Hayward.
Known as the Thunder's 3-point specialist, Joe has emerged as one of the NBA's best shooters from deep over the last couple of years. He's averaging 8.1 points per game on 41.4% shooting, which consists of 4.5 shot attempts per game. Although he's missed the 3-point contest both years during All-Star Weekend, it's clear he's amongst the most efficient.
Joe serves as a spark plug for the Oklahoma City offense if it gets into lull periods, possessing the ability to get hot from the behind the arc at any moment. While he doesn't provide much outside of scoring, it's exactly what the team has asked of him.
Although not as widely talked about as fellow rookie Holmgren, Wallace has been right up there amongst the league's highest performing rookies. Although on the surface his counting stats don't show a lot — with averages of 6.8 points per game — the eye test has shown a high impact made by the 20-year-old.
Wallace is one of the most efficient players in the NBA, especially around his young age. He doesn't take a lot of shots, but nearly every shot he takes is a good one. He's also a fantastic perimeter defender, becoming a secondary Luguentz Dort off the bench in a way that can guard opposing roster's best guards.
Lastly is Hayward, the newest addition of the bunch. While his Thunder career hasn't gotten off to an incredible start, the years of All-Star level play and playoff experience should help his case once playoff time rolls around.
It's taken some time to adjust to a new place and different roster personel than he's used to, but it has been getting better. In the loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, the veteran scored 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting, providing valuable minutes off the bench. It wouldn't be as expected compared to the other two, but no players on the current roster can match the time he's spent in the playoffs.
Any of these three players could emerge as the bench leader in the playoffs next month, but which one is the ultimate question. It won't matter as long as one does, and it'll be needed to compete against some of the other top teams in the West.
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