Three Different Starting Lineups Oklahoma City Could Use
Oklahoma City’s lineups will still likely change often over the course of the upcoming season, but playing time will be distributed more intentionally.
The Thunder have had to throw out some head scratching lineups towards the end of the season to secure a draft pick and compensate for the countless injuries on the roster. Last season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey and Lu Dort all went down before the season’s end with injuries.
With added talent and youth coming in, though, it’ll be much harder for the Thunder to find space for two-way contracts to get on the floor. Instead of players competing for an NBA roster spot near the end of the bench, the Thunder could be giving lottery picks some run now.
All the added talent leaves room for Mark Daigneault to tinker with unique rotations, including the starting lineup. Here are the different starting lineup options for Oklahoma City this season:
The Obvious
Now that Chet Holmgren is out of the question, Oklahoma City will have the option to roll out last season’s starting five.
Gilgeous-Alexander, Giddey and Dort seem like the three obvious options in any starting lineup, especially at the beginning of the year. Pairing the three guards with Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Darius Bazley provides versatility and athleticism throughout the lineup. Those five have played a good amount of basketball together in the past year, too, which would help with chemistry purposes.
Small Ball
Oklahoma City paid Kenrich Williams and watched Aaron Wiggins star on the Summer League court this offseason.
Both wings are incredibly efficient players, and shooters, and the Thunder could benefit from inserting one of them into the starting lineup. It may only work against certain teams, but Oklahoma City could switch Dort or Williams onto certain stretch-fours in today’s NBA. Moving either Bazley or JRE to the bench in favor of Williams, Wiggins, or even rookie Jalen Williams down the line, would be an interesting play.
Youth Movement
Now if Mark Daigneault is feeling frisky. This could be the most fun lineup Oklahoma City could roll out onto the floor, and it could also be the most inefficient. If Dort isn’t ready to go by the season’s start with last year’s shoulder injury, or the team just wants to switch it up occasionally, he could still play starter minutes from the bench.
Gilgeous-Alexander and Giddey could still man the back court, while sliding OKC’s other two lottery picks, Williams and Ousmane Dieng, in at the three and four spots. The Thunder have options at center in this scenario, but since we’re on on the youth train, why not Jaylin Williams? He’s one of Oklahoma City’s only true centers on the lineup and embodies Thunder culture.
Daigneault will have plenty of options, and this season will be crucial for creating chemistry.
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