Who Will Be OKC Thunder’s Most Important Bench Piece?

The Thunder will have a handful of rock solid contributors off the bench.

Feb 29, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (11) reaches for a ball in the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports / Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports

Oklahoma City’s rosters is one of the NBA’s very best on paper. And it’s not all on paper either, as we saw a similar roster in OKC run through the Western Conference and notch an impressive 57 wins. The additions of Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein change the Thunder’s makeup, though, and add to the roster’s overall talent. It’s hard to find any weaknesses.

Of course, the starting lineup will be a well-oiled machine. Assuming Caruso slides into Josh Giddey’s spot from a season ago, it will be an elite, fast, consistent attack both offensively and defensively. Lu Dort and Caruso in the lineup together will be a nightmare for opponents and Chet Holmgren will continue to anchor the middle. On the offensive end, every player in the starting five figures to be a good shooter, too. 

The strength of the entire team is what makes Oklahoma City so special. The team is extremely deep, and at this point in the rebuild, there are no wasted roster spot. All 15 players could be trusted to play — and they are all talented enough, too. Assuming both Dort and Caruso start, who could be considered the Thunder’s most important bench piece?

The easy answer is Hartenstein. Oklahoma City’s offseason prize who cashed in on a massive payday will help the Thunder in so many ways. He’ll be the perfect cleanup guy on the glass and give Oklahoma City a true bruiser down low. He brings a physicality and toughness that the Thunder desperately need. He’s a great defender and a high IQ basketball player that will add to the team’s chemistry.

Hartenstein is also a fantastic screener. For someone like Jalen Williams, playing with Hartenstein will elevate his game in a big way. He loves using a ball screen to get to his spots. There’s also a chance Hartenstein develops some sort of pick-and-pop jumper from the outside. He has experimented with it at different points in his career and has mentioned he wants to explore that possibility in Oklahoma City.

The under-the-radar answer, though, is Isaiah Joe — who isn’t getting enough attention this offseason. Joe has improved every season in Oklahoma City and looks to be the roster’s only true sniper. The Thunder has plenty of good shooters, but Joe is the only specialty shooter.

His two-way impact has improved every season in the league. After signing a longterm contract to stay in Oklahoma City, he’s still being overlooked heading into the season.

Hartenstein and Joe will certainly be crucial to the Thunder’s bench rotation — and potentially anchor the best backup unit in the NBA.

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