The Thunder became the second team to clinch a playoff berth behind the Cleveland Cavaliers Wednesday. This came after their statement win over the defending champion Celtics, 118-112, to sweep the season series between them. They beat Boston without arguably their second-best player, Jalen Williams, who didn’t make the road trip due to a right hip strain. The Thunder’s next home game is on March 19th against the 76ers, as this will be the next game Williams could return to. Usually, when you look at a significant player injury, you would typically say it is a disadvantage for the team. However, there are reasons why the Thunder can turn Williams’s absence into an advantage and not a disadvantage.
Williams is having the best season of his career, averaging 21.3 points per game with 5.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists. This was why he was named to his first All-Star Game and has a shot at making an All-NBA team. After his shortcomings against the Timberwolves, he racked off six straight 20-point games, including a career-high 41-point performance. However, with the Thunder having the number one seed all but locked up at this point, their focus for these last 16 games is focusing on themselves and getting better. Ultimately, Williams’s absence could have many advantages for the Thunder come playoff time.
How The Thunder Can Take Advantage of Jalen Williams Absence
More Practice With the Double Big Lineup
The Thunder know every aspect of their team. They know what a single big will bring to the team or what going small will bring. They know what the team looks like in the non-Shai Gilgeous-Alexander minutes. However, one aspect they don’t have a lot of information on is what the double big lineup will bring. The Thunder won’t need it for every matchup, but there will be a time when they will need to use it in the playoffs. When that time comes, the Thunder want to know every disadvantage and advantage of the lineup to put their team in the best position to maximize that lineup.
Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren are two of the top five players on the Thunder. Since Jalen Williams is hurt and will be absent for the next two or so games, the Thunder will be playing more of Holmgren and Hartenstein together because they are their better players. We saw this last night against the Celtics when they were the ones initiating the offense with Gilgeous-Alexander off the floor. The more comfort and practice the Thunder get with this lineup, the better they are for it. They even have a matchup with the Bucks in this stretch. The Thunder will get to see a lot of double-big minutes.
Integrate Chet Holmgren More in The Offense
Last year, Williams asserted himself as the second-best player on the team and second go-to-scorer. However, before Holmgren’s big injury this year, in the first nine games, Holmgren looked to be that guy, with Williams taking more of a third option. Unfortunately, Holmgren got hurt and missed a significant amount of time, and that duty went back to Williams. Since Holmgren has come back, he has taken more of a back seat and has shown flashes of what he was doing pre-injury.
This stretch without Williams should allow Holmgren to integrate himself more into the offense. If Holmgren can consistently return to the player he was pre-injury—alongside the player Jalen Williams has become this year—the Thunder could have two 20-point-per-game players next to Gilgeous-Alexander. This will make life a lot easier for SGA, as teams won’t be doubling him as much because of what Holmgren and Williams are bringing to the table.
Giving Role Players More Confidence
Holmgren isn’t the only one that will benefit from Williams’s absence—the role players will as well. Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, Lu Dort, and Cason Wallace will need to make big shots in the playoffs. This was something they were unable to do last year. However, this year, they have shown more confidence so when that time comes, they will be able to knock down those shots. The more confidence they have when the playoffs start, the better it will be for the Thunder. That is why, in this stretch without Williams, they will be getting more shots and a perfect opportunity to grow that confidence.
The Last Word
Finally, we know what Gilgeous-Alexander is going to bring come playoff time. However, the reason there are doubts surrounding this team is whether the other guys can perform with him. Jalen Williams has shown more flashes that he is ready this time around for the playoffs. If the Thunder want to reach where they want to, they will need everyone on their roster to be ready. If they can make it to the Finals, we will look back at this stretch and see how important it was for the growth of this team and why they were able to reach the pinnacle of the postseason.
© Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
