Compounding Pieces Were Focus of Thunder GM's Offseason Acquisiitons

Bringing in players that fit like puzzle pieces were more important than players with lots of individual success.

Mar 8, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) steals the ball from Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City brought in two important depth pieces in this most recent NBA offseason. Former Chicago Bull and defensive maestro Alex Caruso and New York Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein highlight the two additions, both of which appear to be perfect fits in the Thunder offense and defense.

Thunder general manager Sam Presti was the man behind the moves. Presti made these moves thinking about the players already on his roster, considering how much better they would make each other.

"Individually [Alex] Caruso is really good, but if he was put with somebody like Chet, how much better does that make Caruso," Presti said at Wednesday's preseason presser.

It's no secret that the Thunder had excellent chemistry on the court last year. Bringing in new pieces can sometimes throw that off, making it more important than ever that the pieces Presti brings in fit the teams culture and chemistry.

"The other thing in thinking about these individual pieces or players is not just seeing them as individuals, but how they can compound or how they can generate even more value when put with somebody else," Presti said.

Inserting players with different skillsets plays directly into that. A guy like Hartenstein, for example, is a defensive anchor, statistically sound rebounder and post scorer. He compliments versatile big-man Chet Holmgren well because of the diversity of skillsets.

Part of the reason Presti brought Caruso in was to complement Holmgren. The connection between forward Lu Dort and guard Cason Wallace with Holmgren last year worked out well and bringing in another efficient scoring-defensive specialist like Caruso should do the exact same.

"If Chet [Holmgren] was put with somebody like Caruso and down the line, now you say, okay, well, Dort, Wallace together last year, those guys can compound," Presti said.

Hartenstein and Caruso were clearly brought in for their defensive prowess, adding to an already impressive offensive unit. Caruso and Hartenstein are both elite one-on-one defenders, but might need time to adjust to OKC's defensive system.

"I think defensively we have the opportunity to put some things out on the court that should be really hard to play against," Presti said. "But just like we've talked about being in rhythm offensively, the team has to be in rhythm defensively, too, and in sync and on time. That takes a little time."

The versatility that the Thunder have on both sides of the ball is something many teams across the league may not posess. If they can be both hard to guard and hard to score on, defeating the Thunder will grow increasingly more difficult.

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