4 Key positional battles heading into Thunder training camp

The OKC Thunder are heading into the 2024-25 season as the betting favorites to represent the Western Conference in this year's NBA Finals.

Headlined by the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City finds itself sporting one of the deepest and most ferocious rosters the league has to offer, which, in turn, aids in their status as a legitimate title threat.

Of course, talent alone is only half the battle when it comes to contending for ultimate glory.

In many ways, how a rotation is constructed is equally as important when attempting to win an NBA Championship, and, while coach Mark Daigneault seems to have several key roles and positions already accounted for as we make our way into the new season, there are still many that have yet to be determined.

With training camp rapidly approaching, there are a number of positional battles that are slated to take place, with four, in particular, warranting serious attention from fans, pundits, and coaching staff alike.

Key positional battles that must be addressed in Thunder training camp

Starting shooting guard

Coming into the season, there appear to be just three players who are guarenteed to receive a starting nod: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren.

Though they may be slotted into areas within the rotation that stray away from their natural positions (more on that later), in one way or another these names will be found within coach Daigneault's first five lineup.

Outside of them, there are a plethora of players who could find themselves in the running for just two openings in the starting unit, and easily the most noteworthy position up for grabs in the primary two spot.

Following some offseason shakeups, OKC heads into the upcoming campaign with a clear vacancy at shooting guard and, found within their grasp are several players who could be worthy candidates to fill the role.

While many seem to see beloved, soon-to-be sixth-year defensive juggernaut Luguentz Dort as the favorite to win the job considering his established familiarity with the system and chemistry with his teammates, one could just as easily make the argument that newcomer, Alex Caruso is the better option due to his well documented 3-and-D abilities.

Heck, there are also a few semi-logical scenarios that could lead to the coaching staff bypassing both of these aforementioned players and, instead, roll with one of his promising, two-way youngsters such as Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe, or recent All-Rookie Second-Team selectee, Cason Wallace.

There are many different ways to approach filling the primary two guard position this season, and training camp will provide the Thunder an opportunity to see how different options pan out.

Backup point guard

The Thunder made the highly strategic and win-now-influenced decision to trade 2021 lottery pick Josh Giddey to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for the veteran, Caruso.

While the move received much-deserved praise and admiration, as it provided Oklahoma City with a better complimentary player to slot in alongside superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the backcourt, in doing so they parted ways with their lone pure point guard and arguably their best offensive facilitator.

Now, according to GM Sam Presti himself, a major influence that led to Giddey's ouster was his lack of desire to be moved to the second unit to serve as the backup point guard behind SGA.

Correctly assessed by the elite executive, doing so would have led to a "more efficiently" designed rotation, as his distribution and ball-handling skills would have been a major benefit to the team during stretches when Gilgeous-Alexander would have been getting much-needed rest on the sidelines.

Now, not only do they no longer have Giddey in the fold, but they still don't have a clear answer when it comes to who will be serving as the primary backup at the one spot in 2024-25.

Will it be one of their already existing players, none of whom are enviable options to have running point? Perhaps the front office will look to add an outsourced player to their arsenal who could better fit the mold of talent they're searching for.

Whichever approach they decide to take, finding a quality fit behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the depth chart should be seen as a high priority for the Thunder during training camp and throughout the preseason.

Starting center

Last season, the Thunder found a great deal of success rolling out a first-five lineup with rookie big Chet Holmgren manning the pivot position.

With such a structure, they went on to win a whopping 57 games, clinched their first playoff berth since 2020, and won their first postseason series in nearly a decade all while becoming the youngest team in league history to claim a top seed in a conference standings.

To shake things up after accomplishing this much in just one season could be seen as a bit unnecessary.

That said, with Holmgren (207 pounds) slotted in at center, at times it was painfully obvious that the club's frontcourt assortment was in over their heads when going against many of the bigger and stronger bigs the league has to offer.

This was particularly evident when it came to their second-round postseason demise against the likes of Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford of the Dallas Mavericks, both of whom manhandled OKC's assortment of bigs en route to a 4-2 series win.

As a way to try and address the club's lacking size, the Thunder went about and signed the most highly-touted big man on the free agency market this summer in Isaiah Hartenstein, who is coming off a career-best campaign while serving as the starting five for the New York Knicks.

You don't pay a career role player $87 million for him to come off the bench, which, in turn, indicates that Hartenstein will be used as the starting center in Oklahoma City moving forward.

However, after the year this team had with Holmgren at center, is it really a good idea to undergo such a rotational makeover?

Starting power forward

Let's say coach Mark Daigneault ultimately decides to change up his starting frontcourt this season and, in turn, plugs Isaiah Hartenstein in at center.

With such a move, it would then have a ripple effect on the rest of the rotation, especially the power forward spot, as Chet Holmgren is without a doubt going to remain in the main lineup and, in turn, would be the natural option to fill the position.

Of course, this would then directly impact their most recent primary four, Jalen Williams, who, while filling such a role in 2023-24, went on to finish fourth in the running for Most Improved Player while posting sensational averages of 19.1 points, 4.5 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.1 steals while shooting 54.0 percent shooting from the floor and 42.7 percent from distance.

On the one hand, this rotational adjustment could actually be a positive for J-Dub, as his style of play and overall build (6-foot-5, 211 pounds) more closely resonates with a modern-day three than a four.

However, on the other, we've already seen how successful Williams can be when manning the power forward position -- we have no idea what Holmgren would look like in this same spot for an entire season.

Training camp will be a time where the Thunder will look to prove that the saying of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" is more of a suggestion than a rule.