Major question mark is simultaneously biggest strength for Thunder

If people thought the OKC Thunder were one of the most menacing teams in the league last season, just wait until they see them take to the hardwood in 2024-25.

Following a magical, record-setting campaign that saw them win 57 games and had Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finish second in the running for league MVP, GM Sam Presti exponentially beefed up Mark Daigneault's already deep rotation with several weakness-filling additions.

From the signing of center Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency to help improve upon the club's size, strength, and depth down low to the acquisition of Alex Caruso via trade with the Chicago Bulls that is bound to amplify their backcourt's two-way productivity with his elite 3-and-D skillset, Oklahoma City's front office made numerous tweaks to the team's talent pool that will only add to their on-court ferocity.

Of course, having so many quality players on one roster doesn't always lead to tranquil times.

Now, it's up to coach Daigneault to find a way to utilize all of his players in the best possible manner, and Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes believes serious headaches could start to arise when the Thunder try to figure out how to construct a closing lineup.

Closing lineup question mark highlights serious depth of Thunder

In his piece highlighting one major question for each team in the association, Buckley pointed out how the Thunder have a "preference for maximum stretch" on the floor, as most teams in the modern-era typically do.

Because of this, he specifically finds himself pondering on what OKC may wind up doing when it comes to Hartenstein down the stretch, as his career 31.0 long-range shooting percentage is far from a "sniper" classification.

Of course, this team is no stranger to having non-shooters playing big minutes in late-game situations, as their most-used fourth-quarter lineup from last season consisted of former lottery pick, Josh Giddey, who boasts the same career shooting clip from distance as Hartenstein.

As Buckley would continue on to state, however, though lineups may be hard to predict at this point, as there are simply too many intriguing options to choose from, because of their depth "the Thunder can play matchups and choose the right combos for the opponent at hand."

"Sometimes, Hartenstein and fellow newcomer Alex Caruso will be in the game during high-leverage moments. Others, neither will be out there and OKC will turn to Cason Wallace as a fifth option next to SGA, Jalen Williams, Lu Dort and Holmgren," Buckley wrote.

As was seen during last year's campaign, coach Daigneault is certainly no stranger to utilizing mix-and-match lineups late in games, as he rolled with four different lineups during fourth periods that saw over 20 minutes played.

Now, with their newcomers coupled with the continuously progressing games of their promising youngsters such as Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe, and Cason Wallace, fans should only expect to see more experimentation in 2024-25, which will both add questions and