Lack of Frontcourt Presence Hurt OKC Against Detroit

The Thunder are in desperate need of their big men returning. 

Oklahoma City walked into Detroit on Wednesday night with multiple key players on the injury list. Although OKC’s bench mob gave it its all, it wasn’t enough to get by the top seed in the East, as the Thunder lost to the Pistons 124-116. 

One of the reasons for the loss was that Oklahoma City was without both of its starting big men, Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. Holmgren missed Wednesday night due to back issues, and Hartenstein missed due to a calf injury. 

Without their two main bigs, the Thunder were forced to play a small-ball lineup for most of the game, and it hurt OKC down the stretch. 

The Pistons' starting center, Jalen Duren, exploited this Thunder weakness all game. Duren had 29 points, and every shot he made was from inside the paint. Duren wasn’t able to be stopped as he had so many points on 70.6% shooting. 

It wasn’t just Duren who controlled the paint, but the whole Pistons team. Detroit had an astounding 70 points in the paint against the Thunder, compared to OKC’s 32. With no reach or physicality from Holmgren or Hartenstein, Detroit got to the paint at will and made Oklahoma City pay for the easy looks. 

Not having their big man affected OKC’s own scoring, too. Both of the Thunder’s starting bigs average double-digit points and are able to score easily in the paint. Wednesday night was a bit harder as Oklahoma City didn’t have the same length in the paint they are used to. 

The Pistons were able to block OKC 12 times in Wednesday’s bout, which made scoring even more difficult for the already short-handed team. 

Detroit didn’t just outscore OKC in the paint, but outrebounded the Thunder as well. The Pistons grabbed 52 boards compared to the Thunder’s 37. They also outrebounded Oklahoma City on the offensive board, grabbing 16 offensive rebounds compared to the Thunder’s 12.

These extra possessions helped Detroit ultimately get the better of the Thunder, and unfortunately, it could have been a different story if OKC’s starting big man had played on Wednesday. 

Injuries aren’t something that the Thunder can control, but it’s something OKC wishes they could get rid of. With this loss, the Thunder are now just two games ahead of San Antonio for first place in the West. 

All of the Thunder’s players are essential for the team’s success, but Holmgren and Hartenstein are two players that OKC needs to be successful.