OKC Thunder Define Next Man Up Mentality

Injury luck has been rough for the Oklahoma City Thunder this year. Forwards Jalen Williams and Kenrich Williams, guard Nikola Topic and first-round center Thomas Sorber have not played, center Chet Holmgren has missed four games and guard Isaiah Joe has been limited to just five appearances so far this season.

Despite this situation and more, the Thunder boast the best record in the NBA at 8-1; the team with the highest amount of games played so far has the best record. The reigning NBA champions surpassed its torrid 7-0 start last season with a team-record 8-0 start before losing to Portland on Wednesday.

This is a testament to the squad's 'next man up' mentality: a mentality that no matter how many go down, there will always be another ready for his opportunity off the bench. The Thunder has had seven different starting lineups through their 10 games, but they keep on picking up results.

Statistically, OKC is the second-most-injured team in the Association this year, only behind the decimated Indiana Pacers. Don't tell that to the Thunder, though.

Obviously, as long as MVP favorite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is healthy and on the floor, the Thunder will remain competitive, but the supporting cast had to step up in the absence of the team's second-best and at times, third-best players. Whether off the bench or in the starting five, they have done exactly that.

Guard Ajay Mitchell has been one of the biggest examples of this. After appearing in only 36 games, one start, a season ago, missing time after foot surgery, he is averaging 16.8 points and 4.1 assists per game with two starts in his 10 appearances. The Belgian guard has been a breakout star for OKC since the beginning of the season, stepping up immediately in the midst of injury.

Forward Aaron Wiggins has also stepped up his game in the absence of Jalen Williams. Despite missing the Thunder's last game against the Kings due to an Adductor injury, the fifth-year player is averaging a career-best 14.8 points per game while shooting 41.7% from downtown.

Since coming back from injury, Joe has been sweltering from three-point land. The sharpshooting guard from Arkansas is averaging 16.6 points and four rebounds a night, while hitting on 44.4% of his looks from behind the arc.

Center Isaiah Hartenstein deserves a shout as well, following his career-high 31 points along with 19 rebounds against Sacramento Friday night. The German big is averaging a career-high 12.9 points and 11.7 rebounds per game while shooting 67.9% from the floor.

The Thunder are still torching their competition despite missing guys with big roles. This is a testament to Head Coach Mark Daigneault and company's next man up approach.