Oklahoma City's Plethora of Options in Closing Lineups Provides Luxury

Mark Daigneault has been trying out different closing lineups, which is a luxury the Thunder will have moving forward.

Despite a late loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Thunder's start to the season can still certainly be considered a success. At 11-6, Oklahoma City is still a top-five seed in the Western Conference and playing all-around solid basketball.

When healthy, Mark Daigneault has trotted out the same starting lineup every game. It appears that starting five is set in stone and the Thunder likes what it has.

Outside of the first five, however, there has been a lot of fluctuation through the game when it comes to substitutions and different lineups on the floor. For the Thunder, that's a good thing. Lots of guys can play at a high level, and the entire bench is ready to step in when needed.

Although it might be frustrating from afar, Oklahoma City's closing lineups are providing key data points for later on in the season and preparing a handful of guys to play when needed. It's a smart tool to use, and Daigneault has never been afraid to experiment.

On Tuesday night, Oklahoma City closed with Aaron Wiggins and it paid dividends. Even though the team came up short, he provided a spark, and two big 3-pointers, to keep them in it late.

We've also seen Daigneault opt to keep in rookie Cason Wallace or sharpshooter Isaiah Joe. Wallace has provided elite point-of-attack defense and efficient corner 3-point ability. Joe has been a pure sniper the entire season and plays well with Oklahoma City's star.

Kenrich Williams could make an appearance in the closing lineup soon, too, now that he's healthy and available. His rebounding and hustle-first mindset has helped the Thunder in many ways this season.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren have been the two constants in the Thunder's late-game lineups, and Jalen Williams is usually in the mix too. Surrounding those two, or three, options with different potential skillsets is a luxury.

Having multiple players that can step up late will certainly help down the line. And Daigneault is figuring out what works best in the meantime.

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