For the most part, the Oklahoma City Thunder have done their offseason homework. They enter the 2024-25 season as heavy favorites following the additions of Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso.
As the NBA calendar flips to the dog days of the summer, the next couple of months are a perfect time to be retrospective and analyze rosters in detail. In the latest Thunder mailbag, let’s look at the starting lineup for the season opener.
Opening night starting lineup? First off the bench?
— Leah (@leah_bh) July 23, 2024
Four players are locks. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Lu Dort can be written into the starting lineup in Sharpie. All four were regular starters last season.
Josh Giddey’s departure leaves one vacant starting spot. The popular choices have been Caruso or Hartenstein. Others like Cason Wallace and Isaiah Joe are seen as wildcard options.
The Thunder should likely choose Caruso to start. He’s an easier fit with the starters than Hartenstein. The 30-year-old is a classic 3-and-D player who’s been mostly a starter for the last two seasons with the Chicago Bulls.
It’s a seamless fit. He’ll be a great kick-out option for the drive-heavy Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams. He should also space the floor with his catch-and-shoot abilities.
Caruso has earned All-Defensive honors the last two years, which means his talents are better suited against the opposing squad’s best scorers.
He must equal his minutes with the starters to get the most out of him. It’d be a waste for Caruso to come off the bench and provide lockdown defense against second units.
There is an argument to be made for Hartenstein to start. After all, his best year last season was because he was plugged into the New York Knicks starters after Mitchell Robinson was out.
But he’s more accustomed to being a bench piece. Plus, the fit isn’t as smooth. The lack of shooting could clog up the lanes for Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams.
As great as a two-man frontcourt Holmgren and Hartenstein will be, the 26-year-old doesn’t fit OKC’s 5-out offense. He’s better off being the sixth man and sub into games when Gilgeous-Alexander subs out.
With all that said though, who starts for the Thunder is not nearly as important as who closes out close contests. There will be several instances this season where OKC closes out with Caruso, Hartenstein or even both.
That’s the luxury the Thunder have with their two veteran additions. They provide lineup flexibility they didn’t have last season.
If OKC wants to commit to a perimeter-based lineup, Caruso helps with that. If it wants to go the other way with a jumbo-sized lineup, Hartenstein helps with that.
