OKC Thunder's Offseason Additions Will Prove Helpful When Stars Miss Time

They might not be stars, but Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein could fill large voids for Oklahoma City.

May 15, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) gestures to the official after a play against the Dallas Mavericks during the second quarter of game five of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City will go as far as its superstar takes it, but recent additions will help the team survive when he is off the floor.

Over the offseason, the Thunder added Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein to address some of their most pressing problems. While those additions were made to improve the Thunder at full strength, they will also be important when the team is missing key pieces.

Although every team will deal with injuries throughout the season, Caruso and Hartenstein are perfectly equipped to help the Thunder when star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander misses time. Gilgeous-Alexander missed only seven games last season. However, he missed significant time in the prior three seasons, roughly a third of the Thunder’s games in that span.

The Thunder’s depth has already been helpful in keeping them afloat when Gilgeous-Alexander misses games, but it has also helped the Thunder’s star stay rested throughout the season. In 2023-24, Gilgeous-Alexander finished third in points per game and second in MVP voting. Playing 34 minutes a night, he also finished outside the top 25 in minutes per game, ranking 13th among last season’s All-NBA selections.

While the Thunder have relied on Gilgeous-Alexander to be much more than just a scorer, Caruso and Hartenstein will allow him to expend less energy on some other parts of his game.

Making back-to-back all-defensive teams, Caruso will aid Oklahoma City’s backcourt defense in a way Josh Giddey could not. With Caruso potentially starting alongside Lu Dort, Oklahoma City could now let their MVP candidate guard the least threatening perimeter player. Not only would that mean Gilgeous-Alexander has to spend less time guarding the ball, but also it allows him to roam and try to create turnovers.

Meanwhile, Hartenstein’s addition will be a significant help to the Thunder’s rebounding. Although it seems that would be most beneficial to players such as Chet Holmgren, it also takes some of the rebounding load away from the Thunder’s star. Last season, Gilgeous-Alexander was the Thunder’s third-leading rebounder behind Holmgren and Giddey.

Considering everything Gilgeous-Alexander has done to push the Thunder into contention, reducing his overall workload could help prevent injuries in the future. Still, the Thunder are in a much better position to succeed when an injury inevitably occurs.

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