Major frontcourt limitation tabbed as 'fatal flaw' for Thunder
By Mark Nilon
At 44-19, the OKC Thunder are executing as one of the best teams in the entire association and, as things currently stand, hold ownership over the Western Conference's top seed.
From the magnificent and historic play of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to Mark Daigneault's incredibly deep 10-to-12 man rotations, this team has the makings of a true title contender heading into this year's postseason.
Of course, even with their plethora of pluses, there are still a few key minuses that could prevent them from claiming the illustrious Larry O'Brien Trophy come the conclusion of this year, and, per Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley, their rebounding woes upfront is the one "fatal flaw" for this Thunder team that could wind up holding them back from raising their franchise's first championship banner.
Rebounding issues tabbed as 'fatal flaw' for OKC Thunder
"They are awful on the glass in every respect: 28th in offensive rebounding percentage, 29th in defensive rebounding percentage and 29th in total rebounding percentage.
- Zach Buckley
The Thunder could have addressed this at the trade deadline and didn't, which suggests they aren't super worried about it. They have decided it's more important to maximize spacing, pace and ball movement than it is to run out a traditional-sized center—say, one who weighs a pinch more than 7'1", 195-pound center Chet Holmgren—who would give them a better presence on the boards."
"I think the Lakers are just too physical...It's a tough matchup, we've been talking about that for Oklahoma City all year long, they're thin up front, they don't really have depth at the 5 position."@ChandlerParsons reacts to the Thunder's loss against the Lakers.
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) March 5, 2024
📺:… pic.twitter.com/ePBRzy4Oec
On quite a number of occasions throughout the season, the Thunder have been called out for their lack of size and overall physicality, which have shown to hurt their production on the boards.
Outside of stud youngster Chet Holmgren, no one on the Oklahoma City roster pulls down more than seven rebounds a game. On top of this, just three total players attached to standard contracts measure above 6-foot-8, and, as alluded to in the B/R piece, no one within their arsenal boasts a tantalizing build in the muscles and weight department.
Add all this up and, in Buckley's eyes, their rebounding limitations "could add up to a fatal flaw in the wrong playoff matchup."
manual