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As the league reaches just past the midway point of 2023-24, the ascension of the Oklahoma City Thunder has emerged one of the best stories of the season.
Led by the team-building of general manager Sam Presti and strategic prowess of coach Mark Daigneault, the Thunder are now second in the Western Conference and tied for third in the overall NBA standings. The big three of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren is already one of the league's best, with ample room to grow going forward.
The emergence of this iteration of the Thunder was quick, but the team still faces a challenge elevating from regular-season success story to true postseason title contender. Since this is Oklahoma City's first year climbing up the ladder, any sort of playoff experience will be welcomed by the front office.
With a horde of extra draft picks at their disposal, it would be easy for the Thunder to make a win-now move at the trade deadline if they so choose. Thus, here is the biggest need Oklahoma City must address before February 8th.
Big man depth
When Presti built this particular roster, it was evident that he prioritized versatility, high IQ and athleticism. Any night OKC is on the schedule is a headache for opponents because Daigneault manufactures brilliant ways to put his players in position to thrive on both sides of the ball.. The head of the snake is still Gilgeous-Alexander, but Holmgren has been absolutely vital to the Thunder's meteoric rise, too.
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While Holmgren missed all of last season due to a broken foot, it was evident OKC struggled anchoring the paint, sorely lacking viable positional size. That's been far different in 2023-24 because of Holmgren's presence as a magnificent rim-protector and modern-day big man. He will be utilized for 35-40 minutes in the playoffs, but they still need one or two more bigs to supplement him.
In a seven-game series, Holmgren will be hit, bumped and elbowed, so he needs someone like Nic Claxton, Jakob Poeltl or Daniel Gafford to help him in that aspect of the game. The Thunder's guards and wings are set for the biggest stage, but they will need to bolster their front court rotation if they want to compete with the likes of the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Those two organizations have Nikola Jokic and the tandem of Karl Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert to create chaos on the interior, so Holmgren will be up for a massive challenge against Denver and Minnesota. A minor injury or ailment for Holmgren that causes him to miss just one or two games in a series may be a deciding factor as well, with OKC will be forced to make Kenrich Williams or Jaylin Williams their starting center.
Foul trouble is another plausible problem that may occur in the latter juncture of the season, so Holmgren must have an adequate replacement behind him. Targeting a traditional center at the trade deadline makes sense for the Thunder, but they could also look to acquire a dynamic combo forward who can play small-ball five when Holmgren is on the bench, also slotting next to him up front in certain lineups.
The Thunder will continue being an intriguing watch for the rest of the year, but adding another impact big man before February 8th would make them even more dangerous.
