OKC Thunder Possesses Vast Versatility, Needs That to Hold True on Friday Night

One of the Oklahoma CIty Thunder's main strengths has been highlighted in their ability to go deep into their roster for production in a given circumstance. Some provide consistent impact game-to-game, while others are introduced for specific matchups and schemes against opponents.

Take Alex Caruso for example, a defensive stalwart on this team who has constantly illustrated his competence and adeptness as a defender on this Oklahoma City defense, one of the best in the entire NBA—if not the best. Night in and night out, you can put your money on Caruso touching the floor for significant minutes when allowed, regardless of matchup.

Cason Wallace is in the same boat, though he has started the entire 2025 NBA Finals series against the Indiana Pacers to this point. To an extent, Aaron Wiggins is also someone you can depend on to compete in his role, though he is not given the same freedom as those two mentioned before. That is no slight either, Wiggins played a vital game in Game 2 against Indiana, playing 21 minutes and adding 18 points on five threes, once again showing his worth beyond a pesky, long defender.

But Wallace and Caruso are two players who have been given complete trust against virtually any team, and sometimes the matchups or Wiggins' performance don't lend head coach Mark Daigneault the patience to keep him on the floor while others are on the bench.

It's a balance, and Daigneault seems to manage it very well for such a young coach with this much depth.

Isaiah Joe, Kenrich Williams, and Jaylin Williams are on a different tier. Joe gets minutes as a sharp-shooting, offensively capable talent, but can be a liability defensively. That was shown in Game 3, where Joe sunk three shots from long distance but did not see the floor beyond the four minutes he had to hit those. Kenrich Williams was used well in the Western Conference Finals as a Swiss Army Knife and a player who boosts team morale while on the floor, and has also been used sparingly thus far in the Finals. Jaylin Williams was an important part of the team in its seven-game series against the Denver Nuggets, making things harder for Nikola Jokic.

This team possesses so much depth and in plenty of circumstances. Those players who represent that depth have to play up to par against the Pacers, even though they are a team who is a great match for this Thunder squad. Indiana is beating Oklahoma City at its own game right now, and the Thunder's bench along with its stars need to come together and play its brand of basketball that has only seen the team lose 20 times throughout the regular season and playoffs.