Could Solidifying a Consistent Rotation Benefit the OKC Thunder Down the Stretch?
Oklahoma City is on a serious roll lately, and a win over the Hawks Wednesday night would put the team at .500. Obviously, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been the catalyst to the Thunder’s success as a team this season. His leap to the next level has given this Thunder team a new gear. He’s averaging 30.7 points per game, shooting 50.9% from the floor and commanding OKC’s offense.
The supporting cast’s progression has been notable, too. From the start of the season now, players across the board have improved with court time.
Josh Giddey is playing like a top-3 sophomore in the NBA, and Jalen Williams has a serious shot to make the All Rookie First-Team. Kenrich Williams has been vital in OKC’s recent run, playing what feels like all five positions in the line-up. Isaiah Joe looks like the biggest free agent signing in Thunder history through four months with the team, sitting at 44.7% from 3-point range.
Even with Gilgeous-Alexander’s heroics, Oklahoma City’s improvement is certainly a full-on team effort. The Thunder have many different options who can play.
Because there’s so much young talent in Oklahoma City, it can be hard to find enough minutes to go around. The Thunder are in a groove without a true center in the lineup, playing elite makeshift basketball with Kenny Hustle and Mike Muscala rotating in the front court. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Aleksej Pokusevski have been sidelined for a good amount of time now, freeing up rotational minutes for the time being.
Rookie lottery pick Ousmane Dieng returned to the Blue from an extended injury absence last week and has already been called up to the Thunder. If Pokusevski and/or Robinson Earl are nearing a return to the court, the Thunder could have a serious logjam of rotation players deserving of minutes.
The problem with inconsistent rotations, and continuing to give all 15 players a fair crack at court time, is it can produce inconsistent results. Tre Mann has struggled at times this season, mostly when he’s relegated to being a spot-up shooter or playing spot minutes. Darius Bazley has also seen ups-and-downs throughout the course of the season, but still possesses enough potential to garner minutes here and there.
If Oklahoma City’s plan is development, playing as many prospects as possible makes sense. But if the Thunder’s focus starts to shift towards the playoffs, setting a consistent rotation and shortening the bench would match the NBA norm.
Gilgeous-Alexander, Giddey, Dort and Jalen Williams has been the most consistent four-man pairing in the starting lineup lately with the center spot in flux. With the All-Star break nearing, all four players look like penciled in starters the remainder of the season. Both Kenrich Williams and Joe have proved more than enough to deserve real, consistent playing time down the stretch. Outside of that, though, Oklahoma City will have to figure out minute distribution.
Mike Muscala seems like the Thunder’s most consistent and realistic front court option of the bench, and even when Robinson-Earl returns, Muscala’s post presence should still help.
Aaron Wiggins has been impressive all season long, and is turning into one of the most underrated prospects on the team. Dieng and Mann (and Robinson-Earl, Pokusevski when healthy) have shown extreme flashes, and will have a chance to solidify a role off the bench before the end-of-the-season stretch kicks off.
The young talent will certainly make it difficult for Mark Daigneault to trim the bench.
Want to join the discussion? Like SI Thunder on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.
