OKC Thunder: Lengthy goals of developing positionless roster

Of all the major sporting leagues the NBA is the most trendy. While fans have witnessed one era shift into the next it’s often mixed with a change in strategy or trend if you will. That’s important for the OKC Thunder particularly as they rebuild with a view toward future success.

For long-time NBA fans, we’ve witnessed so many iterations of the NBA. In the early years of the league big man dominated. That era shifted toward a period of duo superstars and more recently to a Big 3 or super teams. San Antonio became the team that led the charge for the ball and player movement era as well as instigating the 3-point barrage.

As the OKC Thunder embark on a new era they do so knowing Sam Presti needs to be dialed into what the current trends of the association are. Yet, the VP also needs to have a crystal ball in hand to figure out what the future holds.

OKC Thunder jumps ahead of competition in positionless roster construction

Mark Daigneault has already begun to implement new strategies while Presti is building a team that features players with the ability to be interchangeable both on defense and offense. Or as it’s become common to refer to as “positionless” basketball.

Part and parcel of this system are finding frontcourt players capable of grabbing the rebound and leading the break with the ability to create shots for their teammates. Likewise, there is a shift toward finding guards with size who can view the entire floor in order to best navigate the offense and find the best mismatch on offense.

That means the two ends of the lineup are most affected out of the rotational positions. Presti will be seeking bigs who have more developed fundamental skills like passing with the agility to defend speedy guards with equal aplomb to the 7′ behemoths who linger in the paint. Likewise, taller guards with expansive wingspans will be sought.

This current iteration of the roster already is leaning toward those requirements. Case in point, Theo Maledon is the shortest of the point guards at 6’4″ — a height in recent seasons that would’ve been considered tall for a point guard. Josh Giddey is 6’8 while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is 6’6.

Perhaps the most obvious of Presti’s additions is Aleksej Pokusevski who is a 7′ unicorn that could one day be running the offense for the team if he reaches his ceiling. Likewise, Isaiah Roby is another big who in past eras might’ve been considered more of a tweener at 6’8 but in this current era, his ability to defend multiple positions and also instigate the offense means he fits right into the scheme head coach Mark Daigneault is crafting the team to play with.

OKC has nine players who fall in the 6’8 or taller range with POKU the only seven-footer on the team. Mike Muscala is the next tallest at 6’10 and arguably the most reliable 3-point shooter.  The other three big men range in height from 6’8 (Darius Bazley) to 6’9 (Derrick Favors, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl). Gabriel Deck and Vit Krejci are the other two players who are 6’8 and possess guard abilities while playing the wing.

Scan the league and you can see some of the franchises and front offices who lean toward being ahead of the curve and it highlights the OKC Thunder are correct to be focusing on positionless ball.

Looking at all 29 opponents, 21 teams feature between six and seven players 6’8 and taller while six teams have five or fewer (Bulls, Pacers, Heat, Warriors, Rockets, Blazers). Perhaps the Blazers who have only three players in that range can explain their issues on defense based on this anomaly.

The two teams who have more than the average aren’t that surprising either. The Hawks who possess arguably the deepest roster in the association have eight players who are 6’8 or taller. The only other team besides the Thunder who has nine players 6’8″ or taller is the Raptors who have begun the rebuild of their roster leaning toward a similar scheme as the OKC Thunder. The majority of their nine 6’8 plus players will garner major minutes.

Dive deeper and two others (OG Anunoby and Svi Mykhailiuk) are 6’7″ although OG is listed at 6’8 in most promotional materials. Masai Ujiri is intent on creating a team primarily built of 6’8″ and 6’9″ players with the onus on their ability to be a playmaker and defend. Look no further than their choice to draft Scottie Barnes instead of Jalen Suggs or the pickup of 6’9″ Dalano Banton who the team will groom to be another point guard (he’s 6’9″).

Examine the two clubs however and the Thunder have an edge over Toronto with regard to their average height. Part of that is tied to the 6’1″ Fred VanVleet/Malachi Flynn and 6’3″ Goran Dragic who Toronto will start the season with. The latter will likely be traded at some point and if the preseason was a precursor to what Nick Nurse plans Flynn may not be logging very much time on the hardwood.

As the OKC Thunder and Sam Presti move toward a new era of positionless basketball Presti and Ujiri are no doubt hoping they beat the competition to create that perfect positionless roster. Now the trick will be to do it before the other 28 franchises elect to jump on board the positionless train.