The OKC Thunder may have had their playoff ticket punched for quite some time now and are heading into the festivities with home-court advantage throughout, there's still plenty of storylines fans should be paying close attention to.
From a whole team standpoint, Oklahoma City is looking to cement its status as one of the greatest squads to ever take to the hardwood, as they could very well finish 2024-25 with the highest point differential and net rating in a single season.
As for individual narratives, almost everyone on OKC's roster is looking to prove themself in one way or another. From Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's quest to claim his first MVP award to Ajay Mitchell attacking his late-stage rehab in an effort to make it back to the court just in time for the playoffs, there's a lot riding on these dwindling weeks of the regular season.
However, among the bunch, there are a few players, in particular, who seem to have the most at stake heading into these final five games of action.
Kenrich Williams
The luxuries that come with having such a deep roster during the regular season are directly accompanied by the hard decisions that must be made when it comes to cutting down on the size of in-game rotations during the playoffs.
As things currently stand, the Thunder tend to roll out 13 players a night and have frequently rotated different players in and out their starting lineup. Come the playoffs, however, the expectation is that coach Mark Daigneault will follow the trend of other clubs and cut down on this size in an effort to get the most out of his top-tier talents.
If last year's postseason run was any indicator, OKC will likely see around four players be cut from their in-game lineup, and one of them could be veteran Kenrich Williams.
Despite being a fan-favorite and high-end hustle guy who provides quality 3&D contributions (shooting 40.0 percent from deep and boasts a 103.1 defensive rating), coach Daigneault already has several other players out on the wing in Aaron Wiggins, Alex Caruso, and Isaiah Joe, who provide similar skills and are all but certain to see consistent playing time.
Of course, this all comes on top of the fact that both Luguentz Dort and Jalen Williams will already be serving as staples in this area of the depth chart and on-court scheme.
That being said, it's likely that nothing has been solidified as far as who's cast out of the postseason gameplan.
Considering the fact that he can realistically slot in anywhere from the three down to a (very) small-ball five, his positional versatility could still be of great use down the stretch and during what is hoped to be a prosperous title run.
A strong finish to these final games should help up his odds of making the cut.
Branden Carlson
In all likelihood, Branden Carlson logging meaningful minutes during the 2024-25 NBA season will last no longer than Oklahoma City's season finale against the New Orleans Pelicans on April 13.
The Thunder already have their big man rotation set with the likes of Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Jaylin Williams, and, considering how raw he still is, this title-hopeful squad shouldn't be looking to an inexperience rookie in such a high-pressure environment.
However, the reason why these final five games of the year have serious significance to the center is the fact that, depending on how he fairs, he could either secure a long-term future out in the Sooner State or, if not, put himself in a position to earn a respectable new contract elsewhere.
Despite being attached to 10-day deals and two-way contracts throughout his first year a the professional level, Carlson has shown real potential as a standard contributor in the association.
The 7-footer has an innate ability to protect the rim and stay with his assignments when on defense, while his smooth shooting stroke has made him a reliable floor spacing weapon down in the frontcourt.
Though he's regularly seen his playing time come while down in the development league or in small spurts with the varsity team, when given extended run with the Thunder, he's proven capable of serving as a positive contributor.
In games where he's seen double digit minutes on the floor, Carlson has posted averages of 7.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks while shooting 35.7 percent shooting from deep.
Someone of his size and skill set is always coveted in the NBA, and whether it winds up being with OKC or another organization, the rookie should be looking to put his best foot forward during this closing week and change of his first season in the league to secure a more preferable contract come 2025-26.
Chet Holmgren
It goes without saying that Chet Holmgren is a top-three player on this OKC Thunder squad.
With his natural rim-protecting skills coupled with his impressive three-level scoring abilities, there's a case to be made that the 7-footer has the potential to be the biggest difference-maker within the rotation come playoff time.
During these final few games, however, he needs to remind people of this by piecing together a string of consistent, top-level performances.
Since returning from his three-month, injury-induced hiatus in early February, the big man has been rather streaky with his play.
For every 22-point, 17-rebound performance he has such as the one registered against the Nets on February 26, he regularly seems to follow things up with a 7-point, 4-rebound outing like the one he had two days later against the Hawks.
Things have gotten so turbulent, in fact, that even coach Daigneault spoke out about Holmgren's struggles to find a rhythm in these latter stages of the campaign.
Fortunately, since the headman made such remarks, Chet has gone on to absolutely stuff the stat-sheet with stellar averages of 21.0 points, 7.5 boards, and 4.0 blocks on 54.1 percent shooting from the field and 46.1 percent shooting from distance.
Granted, these numbers have been registered in quite a short time frame, meaning that continuing this recent surge over these final five games will not only help strengthen his momentum heading into the postseason but also improve the club's overall confidence in contending for the 2025 Larry O'Brien Trophy.
Though All-Stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams may be seen as the focal points of the Thunder's game plan, there's a strong case to be made that Chet Holmgren is the biggest X-factor on this entire team.