Exploring the Thunder’s Center Options

Chet Holmgren is injured, coaching camp is underway, and reside video games are simply round the nook. This means Oklahoma City might want to determine the right way to finest make the most of the 48 minutes at the middle place. How do the Thunder’s completely different choices at the 5 make an affect with Josh Giddey, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, and others offering robust perimeter play?

Mike Muscala

The 2022-23 season will mark the tenth 12 months of Muscala’s profession in the NBA. The Thunder’s second most enjoyable participant from Minnesota is bound to supply an offensive boon for a rebuilding group that’s nonetheless looking for its legs. Last 12 months, the former Atlanta Hawk averaged 20.9 factors per 36 minutes, changing 42.9% of his 163 three-pointers. Muscala’s elite capturing helped open the offense up, leading to a 5.7-point increase to the group’s offensive score when he was on the flooring. Needless to say, when the Thunder want an offensive punch off the bench, he’s the man to show to.

On the different hand, the stretch large doesn’t do an entire lot to affect the defensive aspect of the flooring. To be honest, it’s by no means been his sport. Still, when Muscala is on the courtroom, the Thunder’s protection suffers on account of his lack of foot pace and normal lack of ability to remain in entrance of perimeter gamers. However, the 6-foot-10, 240-pound shooter nonetheless supplies Head Coach Mark Daigneault with one other large physique that have to be accounted for. And though his rebound statistics aren’t the biggest largely on account of his position on the group, Muscala can nonetheless crash the glass when vital.

Jaylin Williams

The Thunder’s most up-to-date second-round choose is a little bit of a thriller heading into the 2022-23 season. Standing at 6-foot-10 and 240 kilos, Williams is extraordinarily aggressive and constructed for battles with the larger facilities in the league however may not be nimble sufficient to maintain up with extra perimeter-oriented gamers. And though he discovered some success ending round the rim in faculty, that didn’t fairly translate in Summer League play.

After displaying flashes of a jumper in faculty, it stays to be seen how good of a shooter he might be. One factor Williams gives you, nevertheless, is short-roll playmaking. The former Razorback has a knack for rapidly discovering cutters and open shooters when receiving the ball after setting good, exhausting screens for his fellow ball-handlers. His skillset at the very least will present the Thunder with new offensive wrinkles with out sacrificing an excessive amount of on protection, hopefully.

Jeremiah Robinson-Earl

The Thunder appeared to depend on rookie Jeremiah Robinson-Earl greater than every other participant to meet the middle place final season. The former Wildcat went on to common 12.1 factors and 9.1 rebounds per 36 minutes and posted a real capturing share of simply 52.6%. After arguably enjoying out of place for many of the 2021-22 season, the 6-foot-9, 240-pound ahead definitely had his ups and downs going through different facilities. While requested to play a drop scheme, Robinson-Earl didn’t appear to have the size, measurement, or athleticism to successfully execute such protection and struggled to defend below the rim and when closing out.

This allowed for straightforward threes and simpler seems to be at the rim for the opposition and finally led to his teammates overhelping in the put up. The good news is that he confirmed a wonderful stage of consolation capturing from deep, flattening about two threes per 36 minutes at a 35.2% clip. He even flashed the capacity to create his personal shot as properly. If Robinson-Earl can proceed to enhance his play all through 2022-23, he can cement himself as an offensive menace and be the fourth or fifth choice on this younger Thunder squad however is probably going extra suited to a small ball middle position.

Darius Bazley

Oklahoma City’s former first-round choose might need the finest sneaker sport, based on Luguentz Dort, and he may additionally be the group’s most suitable choice at the middle place if the group desires to go small. Standing at 6-foot-9 and 216 kilos, Darius Bazley possesses a singular mix of measurement, pace, and explosiveness. At simply 21 years outdated, the left-handed excessive flying ahead had a tumultuous marketing campaign final 12 months that ended on a optimistic be aware.

Between January and March, Bazley had a 24-game stretch capturing 46.4% from the flooring and 35.5% from three, good for 14 factors per sport. If he can proceed to enhance his shot, Bazley’s capacity to dash the flooring ought to give the Thunder an edge in transition. His bounce and lateral agility mix to make him a menace to contest photographs on the perimeter and below the rim. As he enters the last 12 months of his rookie contract, Bazley must show his price. Showing he can go away his mark on a sport as a small ball 5 would simply add to his general versatility and supply Daigneault the choice of rolling out an uptempo, run-and-gun lineup.

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