The Oklahoma City Thunder have been on a roll, just a half game behind first-place in the West following consecutive blowout wins over the Los Angeles Clippers and Washington Wizards out of the All-Star break. The trio of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams can compete with any Big Three in the association right now, so it is very evident Oklahoma City will be a tough out in the postseason.
Inexperience and size are two of the team's major issues heading into the last couple of months of the regular season, but they will not be a major stumbling block. Even if the they unexpectedly fall in the first round, it would still be a massive learning experience because this is the first legitimate run for this iteration of the Thunder. Most every championship-contending squad in league history went through their rough patches before being successful, so playoff growing pains could prove vital to their evolution going forward.
Despite OKC's looming weaknesses, there are still opportunities for the front office to fortify them before the postseason tips off in April. Here's the potentially fatal flaw the Thunder must address as 2023-24 enters its stretch run.
Thunder's massive size disadvantage
Teams like the Clippers, Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors likely won't be able to expose Oklahoma City's lack of size. They don't possess a dominant big man and often play small lineups as well, so OKC should be able to utilize their spectacular athleticism and peerless versatility to succeed in possible playoff matchups. The Clippers are terrific, but still couldn't match up with the Thunder last Thursday in an eye-opening game from both teams.
But you cannot anticipate who you will face in the playoffs some six weeks before they start, so OKC must be ready for anyone. When they battle the likes of the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves or even the New Orleans Pelicans, the Thunder will be at a major disadvantage in terms of size and strength on the interior.
Holmgren has been fantastic manning the middle as a rookie, but isn't the type of dominant defensive rebounder who can prop up Oklahoma City on the glass all by himself. Mark Daigneault's ranks 29th in defensive rebounding percentage this season, only above the lowly Washington Wizards.
As Holmgren tangles with bigger centers in the playoffs, Jalen Williams and Luguentz Dort must elevate their rebounding numbers to close that gap on the defensive glass. Moreover, it helps a ton that Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey are tall for their position, so they can be factors on the boards as well. Gang rebounding must be a priority for the Thunder under the postseason microscope, where a couple lost possessions can easily swing the tenor of a seven-game series.
NBA pundits were begging OKC to add more girth on the interior at the trade deadline, but they decided to pursue a two-way wing in Gordon Hayward. Hayward will still be a huge boost because he can create his own shot, guard the opposing forwards at an adequate level and play in the Daigneault's closing five when necessary.
Hayward is not a top-tier rebounder, but he will be willing to throw his body in the shaded lane and grab six-eight boards a night. The Thunder's top-end young talent, quality depth and ingrained identity on both sides of the ball will loom typically large to their playoff success, but if they get the rebounding sorted out before the end of the regular season, all other Western Conference contenders should be especially scared to face Oklahoma City come April and May.
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