Should OKC Thunder Try Small Ball Against Spurs, Victor Wembanyama?

The Thunder might need to go small to overcome the big problem on the other side.

May 18, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) drives the ball past Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) during game one of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City has some things to figure out, and going small could be a solution.

On Monday night, the Thunder dropped Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals in heartbreaking fashion. A 122-115 double overtime loss to the San Antonio Spurs marked the first loss of the postseason for the defending champions and made Game 2 a must-win matchup.

With another highly anticipated matchup on Wednesday night, the Thunder must make some adjustments to get themselves back into the series. Unsurprisingly, most of those adjustments will be targeted at Victor Wembanyama, who dominated Game 1 as the clear best player on the floor.

While there were plenty of issues the Thunder faced in Game 1, they found their offensive success when five-out and ensuring that Wembanyama couldn’t simply roam in the paint while matching up with a non-shooter. Still, those lineups turned out to be a bit clunky with Chet Holmgren or Jaylin Williams making slow decisions at times and allowing the San Antonio defense to recover.

So, it may make sense for Mark Daigneault to opt for small ball in some situations. Likely meaning Jalen Williams or Kenrich Williams takes over the minutes at the five, the Thunder have some options if they opt for a smaller attack to counter the 7-foot-4 star on the other side.

While going small with Wembanyama on the floor could lead to some disadvantages, it won’t be anything Oklahoma City isn’t already dealing with if Holmgren continues to match up on someone other than Wembanyama. With Jalen Williams, Alex Caruso and other perimeter players already taking on the majority of the possessions against Wembanyama, going small wouldn’t change much of what San Antonio’s offense has been able to do, but it could help kickstart the Thunder offense.

Throughout the early stages of the Thunder’s rebuild, going small was often something that Oklahoma City went to. Often because the Thunder simply didn’t have the personnel to go big, going small and finding success was a key component of the Thunder’s identity.

While the inevitable rebounding issues and mismatches on defense made small ball unsustainable for a full 82-game season, it can still be a viable approach for short stretches in the postseason.

Add in that Oklahoma City had to play several games early last season without a center, and the Thunder are more than prepared to go small if Daigneault wants to try something different. The Thunder have prided themselves on their size since the beginning of last season, but returning to their small-ball roots for a few minutes could make a real difference in how 2026 ends.