The Thunder have one of the most versatile rosters in the NBA, which has had the best record in the Western Conference for a third straight season, the best record in the league for a second consecutive year, and ultimately won the championship this past June.
When breaking down this Thunder team, there are several layers to OKC’s success. One of the things we are here to discuss is the versatility of their centers: Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Jaylin Williams.
Oklahoma City Possesses the Luxury of Being Anchored By Three Versatile Bigs in the Frontcourt
Holmgren’s talent and impact speak for themselves: since the moment he stepped on the court for OKC, they’ve been no less than the No. 1 in the Western Conference. Many will focus on the offensive inconsistencies, but let’s break down his versatility. His ability to space the floor, be a play-finisher + vertical lob threat, and his capability to attack off closeouts as a creator, open up, and allows the Thunder to play the way they want to offensively. We all know what he brings defensively: he’s a top-three rim defender, which puts him second in odds for Defensive Player of the Year.
Now, let’s dive into the traits that Hartenstein and Williams possess that all teams covet and few actually have: the ability to initiate offense as a hub with their elite processing and passing.
Both bigs can operate with the ball, run different variants of dribble handoffs, hit open cutters, and run two-man actions with multiple players.
Now, Friday night’s heavyweight fight in their victory against the Denver Nuggets displayed that, as the trio of Holmgren, Hartenstein, and Williams all showcased their value.
The Thunder, which trailed for just about the entire first half, kicked it up another gear in the second half thanks to the intensity and physicality of the frontcourt. Holmgren impacted the game in the trenches, grabbing a career-high 21 rebounds, had three blocks, and dished out three assists. Hartenstein was able to orchestrate and facilitate in multiple ways, finishing with five assists to zero turnovers. Williams not only changed the flow of the game through his game-changing defense on Nikola Jokic but also impacted the game as a hub offensively, scoring 12 po ints, grabbing five rebounds, and dishing out three assists.
Following the Thunder’s victory over the Mavericks on Sunday night, head coach Mark Daigneault talked about the luxury of having multiple bigs that can operate through the hub:
“It just makes us really versatile,” Daigneault said. “It allows us to play guys in a lot of different situations, you need somebody that can make sound decisions in multiple areas of the floor,”
Throughout Sunday night’s postgame presser, Daigneault talked more in-depth about having that versatility:
“We as a group pride ourselves on versatility,” he said. “It just makes the defense’s life harder — the more individual weapons each player has, the more things for them to worry about. That trickles down all the way, from me benefiting off them, to them benefiting off me.”
Last night’s victory against the Chicago Bulls displayed the Thunder’s front-court versatility, as Williams showcased total command in operating the offense as the hub — scoring 17 points, grabbing a season-high 16 rebounds, and dishing out six assists.
Despite the Thunder having players in and out of the lineup, having the next-man-up mentality has allowed them to pick up wins. Williams has been the epitome of the next man-up as he’s stepped up: averaging 10.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, three assists, on 53.8% shooting from the floor and 44.2% from three on 4.2 attempts.
The Bulls certainly made it interesting late last night, as the Thunder pulled out an eight-point win in the front end of a back-to-back, good for a league-best 48th of the season. OKC still maintains a three-game lead over the San Antonio Spurs for the No. 1 seed in the West.
Main Image: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
