The OKC Thunder may have already punched their playoff ticket and officially clinched the top seed in the Western Conference standings, but they still have nine games left in the regular season before their quest for the Larry O'Brien Trophy can really begin.
Though some may view these next few weeks as a bit of an inconvenience, as their excitement to see this Oklahoma City squad take to the postseason stage has become rather overwhelming, for the team, it presents a prime opportunity to get their priorities straight before attempting to run the upcoming, four-round gamut.
During these final nine games of play, the Thunder should be looking to address several areas of need and hone in on a few specific aspects of their gameplan that, in theory, could make or break their title hopes.
Figure out the playoff rotation
Oklahoma City may sport one of the deepest benches in the entire league, as they go 10 to 12 men deep on most nights, but come playoff time, coach Mark Daigneault will all but certainly be cutting down on the number of players he uses.
Teams generally whittle down on the amount of players they roll out in postseason action to try and get the most out of their higher-end talents. Last season, we witnessed the Thunder shorten their rotation quite drastically, going from 12 players seeing double-digit minutes during the regular season to just nine in the playoffs.
Guys like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Isaiah Hartenstein are all set and forget it locks to be included in the main rotation, with guys like Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, and Luguentz Dort all but guaranteed to see meaningful action as well.
However, two to three spots are still up for grabs, and these final games will serve as somewhat of a trial run for the coaching staff to determine who makes the cut and who gets cut.
Further experiment with the Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren tandem
All season long, the Thunder duo that has garnered the most attention from both the media and fanbase has been Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams. Considering both are posting 20-plus points per night and were named All-Stars, it's easy to see why.
However, the one-two punch that Williams and Chet Holmgren have created when leading the charge seems to have the potential to benefit this team just as much moving forward.
When this tandem is on the court serving as the two top options, Oklahoma City registers in with an elite 98th-percentile offensive rating of 126.2 and boasts a whopping +32.0 point differential.
Now, granted, such metrics have been registered in just 237 total possessions, so there is a fair argument to be made that these numbers may be a bit inflated due to the small sample size.
Over these next couple of weeks, coach Daigneault should look to further experiment with these types of lineups in order to see whether their incredible production is actually somewhat sustainable, especially considering the concerns over the Thunder's offensive drop-off when Gilgeous-Alexander is off the floor.
Make sure the stars are well rested
Even though the Thunder have broken records left and right this season and currently hold the top record in the NBA, arguably the most buzzed-about storyline pertaining to the ball club in 2024-25 has been their lack of luck in the health department.
From Chet Holmgren missing three months with a right iliac wing fracture to rookie standout Ajay Mitchell's ongoing absence with a right great toe sprain, Oklahoma City has received an unfathomable amount of chomps from the injury bug this year.
Fortunately, it appears their fortunes are turning for the better, as Holmgren has officially been granted permission to play in back-to-backs while Jalen Williams has recently returned from his hip injury.
Over these final games of the regular season, the Thunder should be looking to keep this good health train going on the right track.
No, this does not mean people should expect to see OKC participate in load management. Considering the league's recent crackdown on such antics, there could prove to be serious financial repercussions with such decisions.
However, perhaps easing up on the minutes of their players, particularly their stars, should be an approach worth considering. Not only could such an idea keep their core contributors well-rested heading into the playoffs, but it could also give bubble guys a chance to prove themselves worthy of being included in the playoff rotation.
With the playoffs and home court advantage already locked, what do they really have to lose by using this method?