OKC Thunder Rebounding Concerns Overblown, Despite Frustration

From the time you step into the gym for your first little league game or when sitting in the crowd at the Paycom Center during the NBA Finals, you can bet your bottom dollar that you will hear the phrase "Rebound!" crying out of the mouth of patrons as they plea with their piece of laundry to grab the missed shot on either end of the floor. No matter what the context is, where the shot missed, the positioning of the players or the lineup, any time your preferred side loses a rebound to the other squad it is viewed as a crucifying offense in the stands.

So when the Oklahoma City Thunder are crushed on the glass Saturday in Miami, to the tune of the Heat capturing 51 rebounds to OKC's 46, leading to 33 second-chance points for Miami as the Thunder only muster nine, it creates outrage. Look no further than the frustration over the high-paced Heat launching 111 shot attempts to the Thunder's 77. Still, it was just a two-point loss for the Bricktown Ballers, snapping a five-game winning streak.

While the Thunder's recent rebounding is frustrating for fans on a foundational level, it isn't the reality of Oklahoma City's issues.

While the Bricktown Ballers are still the NBA title favorites, they are not infallible; no team is. However, their possible downfall wouldn't be due to rebounding itself but rather injuries.

After being bounced in the 2024 NBA Playoffs, the Oklahoma City Thunder signed Isaiah Hartenstein to the largest free agent pact in club history, fitting for the biggest caliber player Bricktown has ever lured on the free market.

At the time, Hartenstein's three-year $87 million pact was cast off as an overpay. However, since the seven footer has stepped foot in Oklahoma City, he has proven to be worth every penny including lifting the Thunder to their first NBA Championship a year ago by controlling the glass.

This Thunder roster has nearly $30 million dollars in street clothes for the past 12 games, when this rebounding issue has reached a fever pitch. Hartenstein's absence is the reason for Oklahoma City getting destroyed on the glass.

Not only can the starting big man haul in his fair share of boards, his positioning, physicality, ability to push guys out of the way with his box out and tap out misses to Thunder wings to grab the loose change.

Oklahoma City is not built to dominate on the glass in general, but it is hard to even compete without Hartenstein, as their lineups consist of at a minimum four undersized options, with Holmgren battling on the boards or up to five undersized players, with Jaylin Williams or Kenrich Williams scaling up to take on center duties alone.

Sure, this could cause outcry of why won't the Thunder go grab an insurance big man in case Hartenstein's injuries linger into the postseason, but that begs the question: Who is available?

Kevin Love is an interesting option, to play devil's advocate, but if this team is relying on Love in the postseason, it will only end in heartbreak.

The reality is, the Thunder need to get Hartenstein healthy by the playoffs and no patch work move is going to replace his level of impact. For now, feel free to shake your fist at the lack of rebounding, but there is no impassioned speech that can make Isaiah Joe, Ajay Mitchell, Cason Wallace, or Aaron Wiggins grow five inches. No amount of pleading will allow two-way big man Branden Carlson or a bevy of undersized front-court options to match Hartenstein's combination of size and skill.

Some nights, the pure effort and motor of Jaylin Williams and Kenrich Williams can muster enough rebounds to keep the team competitive; other nights, their limitations will shine through. Look no further than this week alone. Against San Antonio, the Arkansas big man turned in a double-double. Less than three days later, Oklahoma City is ready to overlook that performance.

At the end of the day, the rebounding issue, especially with Holmgren averaging a near double-double and achieving that status over the last seven games, is a non-factor when Hartenstein is back. If the worst-case scenario happens? It still won't be a concern but rather a season-ender with no one on the market realistically obtainable to fit OKC's style of play and in any way recreate the value of the 27-year-old big man.