The OKC Thunder's Newly-Fortified Frontcourt Will be Difficult to Suppress

It’s been quite a long time since Oklahoma City has had a solidified frontcourt to pose difficulties for opposing teams on both sides of the ball.

A truly balanced big man tandem hasn’t been in the Thunder’s possession since the fabled 2015-16 season, having the defensive-minded Steven Adams and shot-blocking Serge Ibaka, who was leaning into his stretch four role at the time.

As we know, OKC went on to fall to Golden State after fumbling a 3-1 advantage in the Western Conference Finals, despite that frontcourt sitting alongside superstars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

In the gap from the 2016 offseason to current day, the Thunder have been weak on the frontline, and the fans have certainly realized it.

Last year, with the season-ending injury to Chet Holmgren and lacking depth with Aleksej Pokusevski, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Ousmane Dieng out for a substantial amount of time, OKC’s depth down low was limited.

Jalen Williams and Jaylin Williams were the first line of defense in that frontcourt for the majority of the season. And while Jaylin did exceed expectations, he is not an ideal starting center on a playoff-contending team despite his talent and IQ, especially as a rookie.

Jalen, on the other hand, showed mature flashes of a future star throughout the season, stepping up in huge moments a number of times. Steadily, he was the team’s third or second option, producing on both offensive and defensive fronts.

As the 6-foot-5 forward displayed his budding potential last season, Holmgren had to sit the bench. The No. 2 pick in 2022 was forced to rehab a Lisfranc injury throughout the season, just recently returning to the court for NBA Summer League in July.

He looked impressive, too, utilizing his 7-foot-6 wingspan and 7-foot-1 frame to swat shots from the low block or even out at the 3-point line. It looked like he hadn’t missed a step to the naked eye, but it still seemed there needed to be some improvements made in terms of athleticism and offensive ability.

That should be resolved before the beginning of the season, though, as he’s primed to have one of the best rookie seasons of any this year as a +350 favorite to win Rookie of the Year according to DraftKings.

Now, suddenly, OKC is attempting to rival their backcourt talent and production with Williams and Holmgren. While the Thunder have been praised for their guard duo in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey, this newly-fortified frontcourt is going to see some praise from the national media as well.

The flexibility of Williams and Holmgren is what will make them deadly. When you used to think of a frontcourt, you’d think of both the power forward and center being somewhere along the low, high blocks, in the short corners or probing around the lane. This won’t always be the case for them, as they’re both athletically-adept ball handlers and can shoot from range.

There will be times Holmgren sets screens with Williams as the ball handler — this leaves the opportunity for shooters like Gilgeous-Alexander and Isaiah Joe to space the floor and find openings in the defense, without even mentioning the downhill threat of both Williams and Holmgren.

This is in line with Williams’ recent comments to Shams Charania, stating he’s “trying to be able to be positionless.” Holmgren helps his case in this situation, as his height and impact down low is able to help contribute on the boards and front the interior load to lessen the burden.

But even so, Williams’ positionless play style and approach will allow both Holmgren and himself to utilize their versatility. Williams is aiming to do the same thing as Holmgren in this sense, building his frame and physicality over the summer will allow him to be more of an interior force and let Holmgren use his versatility to his advantage.

Behind the firepower of OKC’s guard play, the dynamic of this versatile frontcourt duo will be vital to the team’s success this upcoming season.

Want to join the discussion? Like Inside the 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.

Add us as a preferred source on Google