Even With New Additions, Expect OKC Thunder to Play Big Bench

Mark Daigneault’s rotations have been consistent over the last few seasons.

Apr 21, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylin Williams (6) reacts to a play against the New Orleans Pelicans during the fourth quarter of game one of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

Oklahoma City has been the perfect example of team depth over the last few seasons. Other teams have built around too heavy talent and relied on a shorter rotation, but that has never been the Thunder’s way of playing. Mark Daigneault has committed to a big bench every year he has been in Oklahoma City.

Even last year as the Thunder crossed the line into a contender, data points were still being collected across the entire season. The team used a loaded rotation and played 10 or more players on most nights. Even though the talent level had increased, Daigneault still experimented with different lineups to find out what would work in the playoffs.

From last season, Oklahoma City didn’t lose any significant rotational pieces besides Josh Giddey — who was traded to Chicago. Gordon Hayward retired, but he was glued to the bench in the postseason. Depending on what the Thunder does with its last roster spot, Daigneault probably feels comfortable playing nearly every player on the bench.

With the additions of Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein, it would be easy to guess Oklahoma City shortens up the bench and focuses on its best lineups. But if history is any indication, Daigneault will continue with his own strategy. The Thunder need as many players as possible to be battle tested for the postseason, and the only way to do that is to give them regular season minutes.

It feels like at some point this season, Ousmane Dieng will get a chance to compete for minutes. He had a rough summer league slate, but might look better with top end talent around him. He has untapped potential, and Oklahoma City could solve its wing depth with a jump from Dieng. Players like Jaylin Williams and Kenrich Williams have played heavy minutes at points over the last two seasons, but many seem to be overlooking them when projecting the rotation next year. Both players will likely end up playing in more games than not next season.

The next tier, Cason Wallace and Aaron Wiggins, will likely see action in every single game. Wiggins received a nice payday and Wallace is expected to make another jump after a fantastic rookie season.

Daigneault doesn’t operate like other head coaches, and Oklahoma City doesn’t operate like other organizations. Even with added talent on the roster, the Thunder could still rely heavily on a deep bench.

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