The OKC Thunder are embarking on another rebuilding season that features a ton of interesting, young pieces that can all fit different needs and will take time gelling together. With the amount of 6’9 ball handlers, the length and athleticism on this team will be hard to match. That will allow Mark Daigneault to deploy some interesting lineups.
What are some of the most fun lineups the Oklahoma City Thunder bench boss can roll out onto the floor? Last year, the OKC Thunder saw a ton of roster turnover, including some in-season roster shuffle, and in his first year as head coach, Mark Daigneault used well over 300 lineups.
OKC Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault can create fun lineups
The Oklahoma City Thunder will be the most fun to watch when their max contract player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is on the floor, so that locks in a 6’6 guard with a 6’11 wingspan to one of the five spots. SGA will likely turn into at least a 25-point per game scorer this season, after putting up a fantastic campaign a year ago that featured 23-points per contest.
You will be hard-pressed to find an OKC Thunder fan that does not sit up in their seat when second-year player Aleksej Pokusevski takes the floor this season. On the topic of fun, the 7’0 ball-handler who is 190 soaking wet has to be included. Poku, was jaw-droppingly good after the G-League bubble a year ago, can he continue that success into the 2021-22 NBA season?
With two of the three spots lined up, let’s go ahead and throw in Josh Giddey, the sixth overall pick viewed as the prize from last year’s losing season. Even at 6’9, he walks into the NBA at 18 years old as an elite passer, putting him next to SGA will be interesting to see how the two facilitators gel together.
As you can tell, this is not a very strong defensive unit so far, so add in Lu Dort despite being just 6’3, he is an elite defender that even shut down even LeBron James at the end of games.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander the 6’6 point guard, Lu Dort the 6’3 shooting guard, Josh Giddey a 6’9 small forward, and Aleksej Pokusevski as a 7’0 power forward is a great start when trying to construct a fun lineup.
I will give the final spot to a small-ball five, leaning Darius Bazley who is poised for a breakout season. Bazley was tasked with defending big men a year ago, so adjusting to this role in this season will not be as difficult.
Offensively, this is a five-out delightful unit that opens up all the drive-and-kick lanes for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, an area he was elite at a year ago. Every single player in this lineup can handle the ball, create for others, and capitalize when they are set up offensively. The amount of offensive sets Mark Daigneault can run with this unit is mouth-watering.
With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s improved defense, Lu Dort being a lockdown luxury, Bazley features solid down low defense, and Aleksej Pokusevski being a nice help-side defender, they might be able to withstand the storm on the defensive end. Not to mention Josh Giddey being the wild card defensively. So far, Daigneault has a great track record of individual defensive improvement.
What OKC Thunder lineups are you most looking forward to?