Exploring the Thunder's Center Options

The Thunder will have to figure out how to use 48 minutes at center with Chet Holmgren out for the season and training camp in full swing.

Chet Holmgren is injured, training camp is underway, and live games are just around the corner. This means Oklahoma City will need to figure out how to best utilize the 48 minutes at the center position. How do the Thunder's different options at the five make an impact with Josh Giddey, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, and others providing strong perimeter play?

Mike Muscala

The 2022-23 season will mark the 10th year of Muscala’s career in the NBA. The Thunder’s second most exciting player from Minnesota is sure to provide an offensive boon for a rebuilding team that is still attempting to find its legs. Last year, the former Atlanta Hawk averaged 20.9 points per 36 minutes, converting 42.9% of his 163 three-pointers. Muscala’s elite shooting helped open the offense up, resulting in a 5.7-point boost to the team’s offensive rating when he was on the floor. Needless to say, when the Thunder need an offensive punch off the bench, he’s the guy to turn to.

On the other hand, the stretch big doesn’t do a whole lot to impact the defensive side of the floor. To be fair, it’s never been his game. Still, when Muscala is on the court, the Thunder’s defense suffers due to his lack of foot speed and general inability to stay in front of perimeter players. However, the 6-foot-10, 240-pound shooter still provides Head Coach Mark Daigneault with another big body that must be accounted for. And although his rebound statistics aren’t the greatest largely due to his role on the team, Muscala can still crash the glass when necessary.

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Jaylin Williams

The Thunder’s most recent second-round pick is a bit of a mystery heading into the 2022-23 season. Standing at 6-foot-10 and 240 pounds, Williams is extremely competitive and built for battles with the bigger centers in the league but might not be nimble enough to keep up with more perimeter-oriented players. And although he found some success finishing around the rim in college, that did not quite translate in Summer League play.

After showing flashes of a jumper in college, it remains to be seen how good of a shooter he can be. One thing Williams will give you, however, is short-roll playmaking. The former Razorback has a knack for quickly finding cutters and open shooters when receiving the ball after setting good, hard screens for his fellow ball-handlers. His skillset at the very least will provide the Thunder with new offensive wrinkles without sacrificing too much on defense, hopefully.

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Jeremiah Robinson-Earl

The Thunder seemed to rely on rookie Jeremiah Robinson-Earl more than any other player to fulfill the center position last season. The former Wildcat went on to average 12.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per 36 minutes and posted a true shooting percentage of just 52.6%. After arguably playing out of position for most of the 2021-22 season, the 6-foot-9, 240-pound forward certainly had his ups and downs facing other centers. While asked to play a drop scheme, Robinson-Earl did not seem to have the length, size, or athleticism to effectively execute such coverage and struggled to defend under the rim and when closing out.

This allowed for easy threes and easier looks at the rim for the opposition and eventually led to his teammates overhelping in the post. The good news is that he showed an excellent level of comfort shooting from deep, knocking down about two threes per 36 minutes at a 35.2% clip. He even flashed the ability to create his own shot as well. If Robinson-Earl can continue to improve his play throughout 2022-23, he can cement himself as an offensive threat and be the fourth or fifth option on this young Thunder squad but is likely more suited for a small ball center role.

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Darius Bazley

Oklahoma City’s former first-round pick might have the best sneaker game, according to Luguentz Dort, and he might also be the team’s best option at the center position if the team wants to go small. Standing at 6-foot-9 and 216 pounds, Darius Bazley possesses a unique blend of size, speed, and explosiveness. At just 21 years old, the left-handed high flying forward had a tumultuous campaign last year that ended on a positive note.

Between January and March, Bazley had a 24-game stretch shooting 46.4% from the floor and 35.5% from three, good for 14 points per game. If he can continue to improve his shot, Bazley’s ability to sprint the floor should give the Thunder an edge in transition. His bounce and lateral agility combine to make him a threat to contest shots on the perimeter and under the rim. As he enters the final year of his rookie contract, Bazley needs to prove his worth. Showing he can leave his mark on a game as a small ball five would just add to his overall versatility and provide Daigneault the option of rolling out an uptempo, run-and-gun lineup.

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