Injuries Force OKC Thunder to Test New Lineups: 3 Critical Storylines to Watch vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

Thunder adjust to injuries

Oklahoma City entered the season with title-or-bust expectations, but injuries have changed the team’s outlook. Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace were hurt in the third game of the season, and Alex Caruso was injured the following night against Phoenix.

Williams and Wallace are bracing to miss the season, Holmgren is expected to be out for 8 to 10 weeks, and Caruso is dealing with an ankle sprain. Six players are in street clothes, while Caruso and Thomas Sorber have yet to debut for the Thunder this year; Sorber has not played for the team at all.

Oklahoma City has lost two straight games by wide margins. The two meetings with Cleveland give the team an early chance to assess its new lineups and make adjustments.

Cleveland’s defensive options

Cleveland is without Jaylon Tyson, while Peyton Watson is listed as questionable. If Watson is ruled out, the Cavaliers could lose a key point-of-attack defender alongside Tyson. If Watson plays, he is expected to guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen providing help behind him. The defense will test the Thunder star while Oklahoma City has limited support available.

New combinations on offense

The Thunder have reshaped their starting group around Gilgeous-Alexander, Jared McCain, Ajay Mitchell, Kenrich Williams and Isaiah Hartenstein. Starting two big men against Mobley and Allen could be an adjustment for coach Mark Daigneault.

Oklahoma City could also consider using two-way forward Micah Peavy in place of McCain. The article describes Peavy as the team’s best current point-of-attack defender, potentially helping Mitchell defend James Harden and Donovan Mitchell.

The combination of Gilgeous-Alexander, McCain and Mitchell has not yet produced the hoped-for offensive flow. The Thunder may need to deploy the three differently to generate more consistent, connected scoring.

Three-point margin matters

Oklahoma City cannot afford to fall far behind early, as it did against Dallas and Houston. With the available roster, a large deficit may be difficult to overcome.

The Thunder have been badly outshot from three-point range in their past two games, despite the importance of perimeter shooting for an undermanned team. McCain, Mitchell, Stirtz and Jaylin Williams need to find ways to make shots from beyond the arc. A split in the two-game series would be a positive result for Oklahoma City, given its injuries and recent defeats.