Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault recently said his double-big lineup featuring Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein is still a work in progress, but the early returns are encouraging. After Monday’s 137-128 win against the Houston Rockets, Daigneault addressed the eight-game sample size, in which the Thunder are 7-1. Still, amid Holmgren missing 43 of the Thunder’s 61 regular-season games, Oklahoma City dominated the Western Conference.
They hold a 10.5-game lead in the standings. It’s a testament to the Thunder’s talent and depth. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA’s league-leading scorer and one of its leading candidates for Most Valuable Player, coupled with first-year All-Star Jalen Williams, is a big part of that success. However, stabilizing Holmgren and Hartenstein as two thriving pillars on both ends of the floor in Daigneault’s lineup could unlock unforeseen potential.
It’s why the Thunder inked Hartenstein to a three-year, $87 million deal during the offseason. With 21 games left in 2024-25, there’s still plenty of time to find continuous growth between the two towering big men.
One Western Conference scout believes the Thunder will find a way, per ESPN’s Tim Bomtemps.
“They’ll make it work,” a West scout said.
However, an Eastern Conference executive pointed out that the magnitude of that success depends on Holmgren’s outside touch, overall production, and, of course, his health.
“I think it hinges entirely on Chet and how well he’s shooting it and how comfortable he is playing in space more than he has in the past,” an East executive said. “But I’m interested. I think it can work.”
Holmgren notched a double-double (11 points, 11 rebounds), three assists, three blocks, and two steals in Monday’s win, including an alley-oop to Hartenstein, returning the favor for a lob earlier in the third quarter against the Rockets. Hartenstein finished with eight points, six assists, five rebounds, one block, and one steal.
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Mark Daigneault on evaluating Thunder’s double-big lineup
Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) is defended by Houston Rockets forward Jae'Sean Tate (8) and guard Nate Williams (19) on the way to the basket during the second quarter at Paycom Center
Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault discussed Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein’s continuity within his starting frontcourt.
Daigneault admitted there’s still plenty to explore between the two bigs.
“We still haven’t seen it in maybe its most optical form, which is against bigger teams that are like trying to play through your chest at the basket,” Daigneault said. “We’ve rolled it out every night because we need to learn about it, but it’s mostly been on nights like tonight, where it’s perimeter-oriented teams; those guys are in more closeouts. I think we’re learning the limits of it to a degree.”
With Holmgren on the mend, the Thunder will face the Grizzlies on Wednesday.