Wednesday's matchup between the OKC Thunder and Philadelphia 76ers is one that will be filled to the brim with injury storylines and key player absences.
From the Sixers' star trio of Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey all being inactive to Oklahoma City missing three of their own starters for the festivities in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Lu Dort, this already lopsided exhibition has gone from bad to worse in just a matter of hours.
However, such adversities may present coach Mark Daigneault with a golden, late-season opportunity to experiment with his enviably deep rotation.
With the numerous holes now created with these widespread injuries, the headman now has the freedom to tinker with individual roles and in-game lineups, and there's a promising three-man lineup, in particular, that deserves to receive extended run alongside one another.
Thunder have opportunity to further experiment with 3-man lineup
Considering they just recently were put under investigation for sitting all five of their regular starters in a game against the Portland Trail Blazers, the Thunder very likely feel obligated to have at least one of their top-billed talents active for their outing against Philadelphia.
Because of this, Chet Holmgren seems to be a virtual lock to play, which, on its own, should be exciting, considering they'll need his game-changing skills to make up for the absences of SGA and J-Dub.
However, what adds to the draw of his availability within a depleted Thunder rotation is that coach Daigneault may now give him and two other specific talents extra playing time as a collective.
Holmgren, Aaron Wiggins, and Cason Wallace have seen very few minutes played as a trio in 2024-25, but when they've been lucky enough to lace them up together, magic has ensued.
In 150 possessions, the triad finds itself dropping a ridiculous 136.7 points per 100 possessions while boasting a point differential of +36.0 and an elite defensive rating of 96.2.
All three have proven themselves to be exceptional offensive players, and Wallace and Holmgren, specifically, are also both known for their excellent defensive skills.
Because of this, it should come as no surprise that this trio has an established track record of absolutely dominating on both ends of the floor when playing together.
Now, while these elite-level numbers come from a rather small sample size, in a game where both Oklahoma City and their opponent are severely short-handed, Wednesday night may actually prove to be the optimal time to see whether this success rate can be sustained for a longer period of time.
With Wallace running point, Wiggins serving as a sound isolation and off-ball scorer on the wing, and Holmgren roaming inside the paint and finding separation beyond the arc, this trio has shown that they have the potential to be a well-spaced and serious two-way threat.
This matchup against the 76ers is a perfect opportunity to see this experiment receive extended minutes.