Roundtable sessions: OKC Thunder lineups, rotations and reserve units

For years now the reserve unit of the Thunder has ranked among the worst in terms of offensive production. How does this youthful group fair this season?

Tamberlyn Richardson:

This may be a hot take but considering the top reserves of the past two seasons this Thunder bench has similar qualities. Two seasons ago the Raptors bench was their bread and butter focusing on defense and pushing pace. Of the seven men utilized Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet emerged with one becoming a star and the other a sixth man candidate and an essential clutch time inclusion. Similarly, the four teams whose bench units excelled last season were the Clippers, Nets, Heat, and Kings. The common denominators were youth who brought energy every game.

The Thunder reserve staples are Dennis Schroder and Nerlens Noel. Schroder proved at FIBA he’s capable of putting up double-digit assists and  Noel should get more minutes to offset Adams’ workload. The Greyhound trio of Diallo, Ferguson, and Roberson offer length, speed, athleticism, and defensive acumen. Deonte Burton is the Swiss Army knife. Abdel Nader and Mike Muscala are specialists while Patton is still just 22 and could prove to be a hidden gem.

It’s hard to envision Donovan going 14 deep however two starters will likely be gone by early February and Presti needs to assess the talent he currently has as he builds toward the future. Billy needs to dangle that carrot to the youngsters, mix up his lineups and reward effort and production. If nothing else the change of style and speed will force opposing teams to adjust. OKC may not have the superstar talents anymore but they could hold an advantage if they commit to lockdown defensive and all buy into their roles.

Rylan Stiles:

Hamidou Diallo, Deonte Burton, Darius Bazley, Mike Muscala, and the rest are not going to put up a top tier bench productive season. Their ceiling given the lack of experience and the amount of growth they all need is middle of the pack. I do not think they will hit that season due to the projected turnover in the starting five, so I think they will remain in the bottom half of the league.

Noah Schulte:

Poorly. I don’t want to be too pessimistic, but I don’t think this group has what it takes to be a consistently good second unit. Most good benches include starting-caliber players who, either by choice or by circumstance, soak up 20-25 minutes a game as the sixth man.

And even though Roberson can theoretically be that guy in the second half of the season, the Thunder don’t really have anyone who can take up that role: Dennis Schroder is Dennis Schroder; Hamidou Diallo is interesting but raw; Nerlens Noel is just meh, and Deonte Burton is unproven. Maybe someone can make a leap, but unless that happens, this bench will probably be more of the same.

Aidan E:

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Bad, probably the worst in the league. I haven’t gotten a chance to look in-depth at other teams benches, but the Thunder probably has the worst one. The only “good” player they have is Noel and he plays sparingly given the fact he’s backing up Adams, unless one of the young guys make an unprecedented leap, expect them to be at the bottom of the league once again.

Matthew Hallet:

I have great hope for this bench. The core of Noel, Schroder, Nader, Ferguson, and Diallo will develop great chemistry as they will play together so much more this year without two players dominating the minutes.

Kevon Stewart:

I think the additions made for this upcoming season will prove to provide more energy and life to the reserve units. They’ve dramatically improved their shooting and have multifaceted players with defensive flexibility.

Tyler Barger:

The second unit will be better this year.  This group has more experience and will be allotted more playing time instead of always being on a short leash.

Thunderous Intentions writing team on their personal Twitter accounts:

Tamberlyn Richardson: @TTOTambz
Rylan Stiles – @Rylan_Stiles
Noah Schulte – @noahthepio
Kevon Stewart: @KJStewart93
Aidan E: @itsinfernoo
Matthew Hallet: @mervsports78
Tyler Barger: @weekendatbrodys
Chase Beal-Sharp – @thunderguad15
Shade Piper – @@thelob_shade

The roundtable series will continue with segments coming soon on Russell Westbrook, OKC Thunder competitors, front runners for NBA awards, as well as specific questions about the new players and returnees with a view to goal setting this season.

Let us know what your thoughts are in the comments section and share your insights on which lineups you would suggest Billy Donovan try out.