The Oklahoma City Thunder have run the Western Conference for this whole season, sitting at the No. 1 seed with a 44-10 record. However, if they want to become the perfect team to head into the postseason, there is one thing they need to fix. According to Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes, the Thunder need to find a way to make Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein mesh on the court.
“Consider this a scaled-up version of the Knicks’ two-big issue, as the Oklahoma City Thunder’s curiosity about how well Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren will work as a pair figures to have a much greater impact on the stretch run and postseason,” Hughes stated.
Holmgren and Hartenstein rarely play together, but when they do, they’re dominant. In fact, in the less than 100 possessions they’ve played together, they put up a +39.1 net rating. Hughes seemed optimistic about this, saying that when they’re both on the floor, the Thunder could reach new heights.
“Oklahoma City has one of the best defenses of all time, but its attack stands as a relative weak point,” Hughes said. “Pairing Holmgren’s spacing with Hartenstein’s work as a passer, screen-setter and offensive rebounder could unlock new levels for an already excellent Thunder team. Hopefully, we get to see a lot more of it between now and the postseason.”
Hopefully OKC realizes this, and they march their way through the playoffs all the way to the NBA Finals, making it their first appearance since 2012.
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