Chet Holmgren-sized hole filled and 3 other Thunder takeaways from win vs Clippers

After a deflating Sunday night outing against the Golden State Warriors, one that saw them endure their second loss of the season and sadly lose stud big Chet Holmgren to a hip fracture, the OKC Thunder bounced back in a big way during the second night of their back-to-back in a home-bout against the LA Clippers.

In the wake of Holmgren's unfortunate absence, coach Mark Daigneault opted to go incredibly small with his starting unit, filling their 7-foot-1 hole down low with 6-foot-5 Jalen Williams.

Despite the clear size advantage Los Angeles may have had with the likes of 7-foot, 240-pound Ivica Zubac manning the middle, Oklahoma City managed to make said edge a moot point thanks to their sensational help defense and white hot scoring prowess that saw them drop as many as 41 points in the second quarter while shooting 50.0 percent from the floor and 53.8 percent from deep.

Such a run would help the Thunder take command of the contest heading into the second-half with a lead of 66-53 on their side.

While the Clippers did manage to make a run at a comeback late in the game, as Norman Powell (31 points) and company brought the score to within just two points with under a minute left to play in the final period, OKC never withered amid all the adversity and, in turn, pulled away with a 134-128 win.

Thunder takeaways from first win following Chet Holmgren's injury news

Jalen Williams is undoubtedly going to be an All-Star in 2024-25

Coming into the season, Jalen Williams was pegged as one of the top youngsters around the league who seemed primed for a breakout into stardom in year three. Through 11 games played and, particularly after Monday night's eruption, there seems to be no doubt that he'll be one of the players selected to participate in the illustrious exhibition out in the Bay Area this February.

Frankly, it was his ability to rise to the occasion of slotting in at the five against the Clippers and not missing a beat that suggests he's officially arrived at the coveted star level.

In 35 minutes played, Williams went on to drop 28 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals while shooting 68.8 percent from the floor and 66.7 percent from deep.

While his box score from the contest is undeniably sensational, it was the way he was able to register these numbers, particularly in the scoring department, that should be celebrated above everything.

From his effortless finishing ability to his overall uptick as a self-creator, J-Dub's improvements were on full display against LA and, alongside the always electric production of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (45 points, 9 assists, 3 rebounds, 5 steals, and 2 blocks), were a main reason for why the Thunder were able to pull out their ninth win on the year.

Alex Caruso was well worth the investment

Not all contributions make their way onto the stat sheet and, thus far into his tenure with the Thunder, Alex Caruso's impact on this team has been one felt more on the hardwood and through the eye-test than within the box score.

Yes, his 12 points, 2 rebounds, and a steal on 57.1 percent shooting from the floor and 40.0 percent shooting from deep were certainly positive contributions to OKC's win, but it was his efforts in the nitty-gritty, grit-and-grind aspect of the game that genuinely proved invaluable.

Though he only may measure in at 6-foot-5, 186 pounds, the veteran was often tasked with matching up against the likes of Zubac defensively during his 19 minutes of play, where he proved surprisingly effective in holding his ground, even forcing the behemoth big to shoot just 40.0 percent during the pivotal fourth quarter on attempts where he was the primary contester.

Alex Caruso has made a career for himself as being a tenacious player who provides all out hustle and effort at all times when on the floor, and this tough-nosed attitude once again showed itself when the Thunder needed it most.

This small-ball lineup can NOT be confidently relied on moving forward

Yes, it's quite exciting that this small-ball lineup managed to pull out a win, especially considering they were on the second night of a back-to-back and playing through their third game in four nights. However, emotions must not get in the way of the reality of things -- this lineup construction is not something the Thunder can be confident in using moving forward.

Even though guys like Jalen Williams and Alex Caruso were able to somewhat hold their own both individually and with off-ball help while serving as centers, the duo combined for a whopping nine fouls and, at least in the case of Caruso, looked absolutely gassed toward the end of the game.

Also, let's not forget the fact that they were playing against Ivica Zubac and not an Anthony Davis, Karl-Anthony Town, or Nikola Jokic. Against a more offensively gifted big, Monday's outcome very well could have been completely different.

It took six double-digit scoring efforts and a 45-point, stat-sheet stuffing performance from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to scrape out a six-point victory over the, now, 6-5 Clippers.

Above all else, the biggest takeaway from the night is that Oklahoma City sorely missed Chet Holmgren, and can't wait for the likes of Jaylin Williams and Isaiah Hartenstein to be medically cleared to play so they can finally get a big bodied presence back into their frontcourt.