Thunder Rising Star Preparing For Unique Lineups

The Oklahoma City Thunder have started training camp and rising star Chet Holmgren discussed preparing for double big lineups.

Chet Holmgren is pictured during the Thunder media day at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, on Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. / NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While the Thunder are casted as contenders sitting atop the Vegas odds to win the Western Conference and a popular pick to win the NBA Finals, there are still plenty of questions surrounding Oklahoma City as training camp opens up.

This summer, the OKC Thunder inked Isaiah Hartenstein to the biggest free agent contract in club history. The former Knicks center plugs the biggest hole the Thunder had a year ago in their 57 win campaign.

Since July, the biggest question has been how Mark Daigneault will mesh Hartenstein into the rotation. Who will be the starting five and how often will the Thunder roll out double-big lineups, a luxury OKC did not have a year ago.

During the 2023-24 season, Chet Holmgren dazzled in his rookie season as the lone true center on the roster. Given the construction of Oklahoma City's rotation, the Thunder only deployed their two big men - Jaylin Williams and Holmgren - two percent of their minutes together.

The expectations for this season is that Oklahoma City will roll Holmgren and Hartenstein out on the floor together at a higher rate than before. As training camp opened up, the Thunder center was peppered with questions about preparing for a two-big lineup.

"No different than anything else that I gotta work and prepare at. Get in the film room, get on court, understand the situations, what they're going to look like. Be prepared to play out of those situations and be effective in them," Holmgren said at Training Camp Tuesday.

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