OKC Thunder’s Bench Could Be a Strength in 2023

Oklahoma City’s overflow of depth could give the team an advantage next season.

A season ago, Oklahoma City’s bench was effective but short due to mid-season injuries. Obviously, the biggest piece to the puzzle was still Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and the attention he drew allowed the bench to have success. But the reserves carved out a role, and a few players had serious breakout seasons.

Both Kenrich Williams and Aleksej Pokusevski were each key contributors at different points throughout the season and went down with an injury in the middle of the year. Pokusevski started the season at the center spot and was having his best stretch of basketball with the Thunder yet, but couldn’t quite stay healthy to build off of it. When Pokusevski went down, Williams filled in as the team’s center occasionally despite being very undersized. Ousmane Dieng, who could be a big piece off the bench this season, also missed a big chunk of time with injury too.

Oklahoma City will be tasked with trimming the bench over the next few weeks, as the team is over the maximum roster limit by multiple players. Every player on the roster, however, is capable of playing big minutes for the Thunder — which makes the cuts that much more difficult.

One thing is for certain though — Oklahoma City is boasting its most complete roster in years, top to bottom.

Vasilije Micić will lead the Thunder’s bench with capable scorers all over the floor. Isaiah Joe’s breakout last year was a huge development and with a passer like Micić, he’ll get more open looks than ever before. Pokusevski, Williams and Dieng will all enter the season healthy, giving the Thunder depth at nearly every position.

Cason Wallace, Oklahoma City’s lottery pick will have to earn minutes but is more than capable of doing so. It’s been a long time since the Thunder had a lottery pick that wasn’t forced to play immediately.

If Jaylin Williams is set in the second unit, Oklahoma City has someone they feel comfortable with starting in the front court as an option off the bench. Aaron Wiggins and Tre Mann are both fighting for roster spots, but more than capable of making a difference on the floor.

The Thunder seem to be in great hands with its bench unit. It could be crucial to give Gilgeous-Alexander a break and help the Thunder reach new heights.

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