Thunder Mailbag: An Advantageous Schedule Ahead

Answering the three best questions submitted to this week’s mailbag.

Mar 20, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) moves the ball around Oklahoma City Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins (21) during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Following an extremely difficult road trip against several of the top teams in the NBA, the Oklahoma City Thunder have a pretty favorable schedule in December. That's not to say that there won't be difficult games, but more holistically the Thunder should be heavy favorites in quite a few upcoming contests.

Over the next week, Oklahoma City will take on the Utah Jazz, Toronto Raptors and New Orleans Pelicans. From there, there could be some more difficult matchups if the Thunder advances past the Group Stage of the NBA Cup and continues competing in that event. That will be determined on Tuesday, as OKC needs to beat the Jazz and also hope the Phoenix Suns defeat the San Antonio Spurs. If both of those things happen, the Thunder moves on in the NBA Cup.

Let’s answer the three best questions that were submitted for this week’s mailbag:

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How Do You Think the NBA Cup Will Unfold for OKC?

Everything hinges on Tuesday night, as the Thunder will need to beat the Jazz while also hoping the Suns defeat the Spurs. If both of those things happen, Oklahoma City will move on to the Knockout Rounds. It's highly dependent on matchup, but obviously the Thunder will have a good shot to beat any opponent that takes the floor beyond the Group Stage. If I were to guess how this unfolds, I think the OKC beats Utah, but Victor Wembanyama powers San Antonio past Phoenix, so the Thunder won't advance -- even as a wildcard.

Is Isaiah Hartenstein Even Better Than We Thought?

It all depends on what you expected of him coming in. If you watched the tape and analyzed the numbers last season with the Knicks, it was clear that he would be one of the most impactful players on this team. He's notched a double-double in all five of his games in a Thunder uniform and the team has gone 4-1 with Hartenstein in the lineup. In short, I haven't been surprised or think he's been better than we thought, but I will say he's stepped up more quickly as a primary contributor than I expected, which was largely forced by Chet Holmgren's injury. Hartentstein has been huge from the first moment he stepped on the floor upon making his debut.

What Will Jaylin Williams' Role Be When He Returns?

Even with Holmgren sidelined, I am not sure Williams will play a significant role upon his return. He could end up being a piece that only plays situationally as needed within the flow of a game or against certain opponents. Even with how thin the roster is, I believe there will be games this season in which Williams is healthy but still doesn't see the floor. Conversely, there will be games in which he is a huge contributor and makes the difference in the win column. But overall I think Williams' role and minutes will be inconsistent.

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Note: Questions may be paraphrased in order to group or aggregate similar submissions.

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