The OKC Thunder may be the reigning NBA Champions, sport the best record in the association at 27-5, and boast the best odds of taking home their second consecutive Larry O'Brien Trophy in 2026, but they are far from a flawless bunch.
These last three weeks of action have served as a stark reminder of this.
Over their past seven games, Oklahoma City has gone 3-4 and endured their first losing streak of the year, as they dropped two consecutive outings against the San Antonio Spurs.
Though there has been plenty to nitpick about their on-court production as of late, from both the eye test and advanced metrics, it seems that perhaps their biggest area of struggle is one that the Thunder have been dealing with for the better part of the last few years.
Lack of frontcourt size still an issue for OKC Thunder
Though it may sound a bit odd, especially when considering they have two seven footers residing down in the frontcourt with the likes of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, the Thunder have a lack of size that has clearly been taken advantage of as of late.
Height isn't everything when it comes to a frontcourt's rotation -- strength is also key.
Sadly, they don't have all that much of the latter quality, which has been painfully obvious when playing against much bulkier lineups like the Timberwolves with Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert, and the Spurs with wunderkind big Victor Wembanyama.
As a result, OKC has been absolutely demolished in the second-chance points department, as they've allowed 16.7 to opponents (ranked 21) on average over the past seven games, while scoring just 13.9 themselves (ranked 24).
Now, again, their struggles when it comes to matching size with size are nothing new to the Thunder. On most nights, due to Holmgren weighing 208 pounds soaking wet and the fact that they only roster two full-time players who measure in over 6-foot-9, they regularly trump in comparison.
Fortunately, they've managed to overcome this discrepancy for the most part thanks to their efficient long-range shooting, tenacious defense, and propensity to avoid making mistakes.
However, what their recent stretch has shown is that if all three of these factors aren't going in their favor, Oklahoma City's struggles in the size department become that much harder to overcome.
It's clear that Sam Presti and company are well aware of this innate weakness of theirs, as they tried to address it during this past June's NBA Draft with the selection of Thomas Sorber.
Unfortunately, as fans are well aware, injuries have shelved the youngster for the entirety of 2025-26, leaving the Thunder in the same place they've been.
Whether it's via the trade route, buyout market, or simply extending more minutes to their 7-foot, two-way big Branden Carlson, it's quite evident that in order to better their odds of becoming the first repeat champion since the 2018 Warriors, addressing this glaring rotational weakness is a must.