The Thunder Should Make Three Adjustments to Beat Minnesota

After a Game 7 blowout win over the Denver Nuggets, the Oklahoma City Thunder will now face the Minnesota Timberwolves with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line.

The second-round series between the Thunder and Nuggets was electrifying, but now OKC needs to make adjustments and answer some key questions in preparation for their upcoming series against Minnesota:

Do the Thunder Start Isaiah Hartenstein?

After putting on a defensive masterclass against the best offensive player in the league, Nikola Jokic, Hartenstein will have a much different role in the Western Conference Finals. Given Chet Holmgren‘s length, he is the likely matchup for Rudy Gobert. This leaves the question of where Hartenstein fits in the starting lineup.

Hartenstein’s bruiser playstyle is much different than that of his hypothetical bench matchup, Naz Reid. Reid is a smooth ball handler who plays a lot of his game on the perimeter.

Reid can be easily exploited in Minnesota’s primary defense by Hartenstein’s playmaking in the non-restricted paint, which will be pivotal for the Thunder’s bench unit and would create a lot of easy shots.

Considering the difference that Hartenstein can make coming off the bench, that is where he will be best suited to start the series.

Which Jalen Williams Will We See?

After the roller coaster of a series J-Dub had, including a masterful Game 7 to take OKC to the Western Conference Finals, there is a lot of concern about how consistent he will be going forward.

Against the Timberwolves this season Williams averaged 19.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game. J-Dub was a phenomenal playmaker in this regular-season series, punishing the Wolves’ zone defense, especially when Rudy Gobert was out of the game.

(Clip via shotcreator.com)

In the second round, J-Dub had four games shooting under 36% from the field. If he continues to play as inconsistently as he has been, the Thunder will have a nearly impossible path to the finals. In his excellent Game 7, J-Dub looked extremely comfortable, finding open drive lanes and not rushing his offense.

One thing that has never been in question during these playoffs is J-Dub’s defense.

J-Dub has been especially great this season against the Wolves’ second star, Julius Randle. In the limited Williams was guarding him (18 possessions), Randle averaged just 8.6 points per 75 possessions with a 50% true-shooting percentage (via databallr.com), which pales in comparison to the 40.2 points and 75% true-shooting percentage Williams averaged with Randle on him.

J-Dub could be a great solution to slow down Randle if OKC decides to run a smaller lineup or if their big men get in foul trouble.