With training camp here and the regular season a few weeks away, the anticipation continues to grow in OKC. The Thunder projected as Western Conference favorites and currently have top-three odds to win their first-ever championship in franchise history.
The OKC Thunder have a roster full of talent but also face plenty of questions ahead of the 2024-25 season. Let’s dive into one question for each player on the Thunder’s roster.
Questions to Answer Ahead of the 2024-25 Season for Each OKC Thunder Player
1. Will Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Take a Leap In His Playmaking?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has cemented himself as a top-10 player in the league. Becoming an elite player on both ends of the floor and becoming a walking and efficient 30-point-per-game scorer but each year everyone has tried to put a cap on SGA’s game and every year he improves and returns with a new dimension to his game.
With the departure of Josh Giddey, the MVP runner-up will be tasked with more playmaking duties. If he becomes a better playmaker who can it even easier for his teammates, and becomes better at balancing his scoring and playmaking while maintaining his efficiency. It’ll make SGA’s game even more complete and it’ll also make the Thunder an even more dangerous team.
2. What Role Does Isaiah Hartenstein Play?
This will be a question all year long: Will Isaiah Hartenstein be a starter or not? The more interesting question is how can the Thunder maximize Hartenstein. How will the Thunder balance in playing Hartenstein with Chet Holmgren and staggering them?
3. How Will Alex Caruso Be Utilized?
Last year, the Thunder’s main issues were their size and experience, and another issue the playoffs revealed was their playmaking and having another player who could play make.
The addition of Alex Caruso helps the Thunder with veteran leadership and championship experience, strengthens and adds more defensive versatility to the roster, and the most underrated aspect of the addition of Caruso — his connective passing can really benefit the Thunder as the season progresses.
4. Can Chet Holmgren Take the Next Step In His Overall Production?
Obviously, the main question for Holmgren is: Can Holmgren be a No. 2 option on a championship-caliber team? The reality of this question is that it’s a lot of pressure for a second-year player.
Holmgren had a fantastic rookie season, however, at times there were times when he was too passive and did not take advantage of being matched up against smaller players and punishing the opposing team as a scorer – something he put an emphasis on improving at. His skill set and scoring potential at all three levels have yet to be unlocked — with an increased role, this is something to keep an eye on for this season.
5. Can Jalen Williams Become a True No.2 Option On a Championship Caliber Team?
Like with Holmgren, the main question for Jalen Williams is whether will he be ready for the postseason pressures of being a No. 2 or No. 3 option in their journey for an NBA Championship.
Williams is coming off a strong sophomore season, in which he averaged — 19.1 points, 4.5 assists, and 4 rebounds on 54/42/81 shooting splits as the No. 2 option. But this past playoffs highlighted his deficiencies and with his reliance as the secondary creator and offensive engine in the secondary units, his progression as an overall creator will be pivotal for the Thunder’s success.
6. Can Lu Dort Become More Efficient?
Lu Dort had a career year at the rim, converting 57 percent, which is not efficient but what has been the norm throughout his career thus far. He also had a career year shooting from the floor (43.8%), from deep (39.4%), and at the free throw line (82.6%).
To Dort’s credit, he has fixed his inefficiencies in other areas — most notably from beyond the arc. While it’s becoming less likely that Dort can become a good rim finisher that is the main question for him.
7. Will Cason Wallace Get An Expanded Role?
Last season, Cason Wallace made an immediate impact for the Thunder, making himself one of the best young 3-and-D players in the league. Wallace is more than a 3-and-D player as he was a point guard at the University of Kentucky. He was relegated to that role due to the amount of talent on the roster.
Now, going into his second season, OKC would benefit from Wallace locking up the backup point guard spot, which has been alluded to by the Thunder. If Wallace expands his game and becomes the table-setter the second unit needs, it could be a game-changer for an already-loaded roster.
8. Can the Addition of Isaiah Hartenstein Unlock Isaiah Joe’s Game Even More?
Last season, Isaiah Joe was deadly from deep. He really improved as a defender and showed flashes on the ball — scoring off the dribble and navigating in the pick-and-roll.
Joe showcased the ability to score at all three levels. Joe was rewarded this offseason with an extension which gives him long-term stability and it shows how much the organization values him moving forward. And with the addition of Isaiah Hartenstein, the potential to unlock Joe in the two-man game and his off-ball movement — coming off Hartenstein screens, could add another element to their offense.
9. Will Aaron Wiggins Have a Consistent Role After His Contract Extension?
Aaron Wiggins is a player who deserves to play more and would be a key contributor on just about every NBA team. He makes an impact whenever he’s on the floor. Wiggins was rewarded this offseason with an extension which gives him long-term stability and should signal how the organization views him moving forward despite the inconsistent minutes due to how loaded the roster is.
10. The Health and Role of Kenrich Williams?
Going into the season Kenrich Williams is dealing an injury in back-to-back years. Managing the health of Williams should be a top priority for the Thunder as Williams is one of the most physical players and vocal leaders on the team which the Thunder really missed in last year’s playoffs.
With the improvement of the roster, William’s role has decreased. Williams still provides value on this team as he was most effective when the Thunder went with their small-ball style. Balancing and playing different styles will be interesting for the Thunder to experiment with —especially with Holmgren and now Hartenstein at their disposal, a luxury they did not have a season ago.
11. Can Ousmane Dieng Crack the Rotation?
On June 23rd, 2022 — Sam Presti traded three protected first-round picks for Ousmane Dieng. Many draft experts and members of the organization knew this would be a project pick. Unfortunately, the team has passed the development stage on project players as the team is now in the contending phase.
This past season, Dieng has taken a step forward in the G League — with the physicality he brought and the offensive force he played with, along with his switchability and defensive versatility — which resulted in him winning the G League MVP. That progress has not been shown at the NBA level yet.
With opportunities dwindling due to the amount of talent in OKC, can Dieng carve out a consistent role? This may be his last opportunity to do so.
12. Does Jaylin Williams Play in a Double Big Lineup?
Holmgren and Jaylin Williams rarely shared the floor together a season ago and the Thunder weren’t comfortable in playing the two of them together. Williams is really the size of a power forward.
With the addition of Hartenstein, one of Holmgren or Hartenstein should be on the floor at all times. Meaning if Williams wants to receive minutes, he will have to play alongside one of them. It could potentially unlock in Williams and he could flourish in a double-big lineup.
13. What Position Does Dillon Jones Play?
Dillion Jones is an unorthodox player — with an unusual frame — at 6’5-240 pounds — who was a ball-handling playmaker who played every position at Weber State. While he projects as a forward in the NBA, his role is not as projectable on this team as the others.
The Thunder clearly believes in Jones. They traded five future second-round picks to move up to pick Jones in the first round.
Now, the Thunder will see how he fits and see if he can crack an already crowded rotation.
14. Did the Thunder Find a Hidden Gem in Ajay Mitchell?
Over the last few years, OKC has been incredible in utilizing the two-way contracts finding hidden gems in players in Dort and Wiggins who play a pivotal role for this current Thunder team. The Thunder brought their way back into the draft to select Ajay Mitchell which shows the team believes something is there in Mitchell.
Mitchell’s craftiness as a creator and table-setter really brings out his drive-and-kick game — which fits perfectly in OKC’s offensive system.
15. The Rehab Progression of Nikola Topic:
Nikola Topic is out for the season with a torn ACL. The only question for Topic is how he tackles his rehab and the progression of his recovery.
Note: Besides Topic who is out for the season with a (torn ACL). These are the Top 15-man roster spots and are the players who are projected to play for the Thunder at some point this season. Also, they still have a vacant roster spot due to the Topic injury.
Main Image: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
