Oklahoma City is already dealing with the injury bug. Their most recent first-round pick, Thomas Sorber, suffered a season-ending torn ACL during an offseason workout, while Nikola Topic and Kenrich Williams are expected to be sidelined until mid to late November. 

To make matters worse, Jalen Williams is still recovering from offseason wrist surgery. According to ESPN, Williams “has only recently begun to shoot with his right hand and has yet to be cleared for contact work.” 

This news indicates that he is likely out for the first few weeks of the season, especially since Oklahoma City will prioritize Williams’ long-term health and has no motive to rush his return. 

Given the Thunder’s lengthy injury report to start the season, which players need to step up and justify their battlefield promotions? 

Ajay Mitchell 

While Williams and Topic are on the mend, someone besides Shai Gilgeous-Alexander must be able to act as the lead ball-handler and orchestrate quality half-court offensive possessions. 

Ajay Mitchell is the best candidate to fill this role. The Thunder produced one point per possession when Mitchell ran pick-and-rolls last season. For context, that mark was on par with Austin Reaves and Jamal Murray. Those veterans obviously logged far more possessions, so it’s unfair to draw comparisons when Mitchell hasn’t proven he can sustain his efficiency at their volume. 

However, it’s clear that Mitchell made the most of his usage and flashed tremendous upside. If he can build upon his rookie season and contribute quality minutes, then it would be a boon for Oklahoma City’s offense. A strong start to the season may force the Thunder to make him their permanent sixth man, too. He has looked that good over the past few months. 

Jaylin Williams 

The Thunder will be tested early against teams that possess frontcourt size and depth. For example, the first ten games of the season include matchups against the following center units: 

• Alperen Sengun, Steven Adams, Clint Capela
• Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford
• Ivica Zubac, Brook Lopez, John Collins (small-ball)
• Donovan Clingan, Yang Hansen, Robert Williams III

Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein will carry the bulk of the workload, but having a third big to help with defense and rebounding is crucial. Oklahoma City badly needs Jaylin Williams to extend his phenomenal preseason play to the regular season. Plus, Williams’ playmaking and 3-point shooting can give the injury-riddled Thunder the offensive boost it requires. 

Alex Caruso

With Jalen and Kenrich Williams both sidelined, the Thunder currently lacks a versatile defensive forward who can guard jumbo scorers and play small-ball center in a pinch. It’s a notable problem with names like Kevin Durant, Pascal Siakam, Jalen Johnson and Kawhi Leonard on the upcoming schedule. 

Chet Holmgren is versatile enough to defend the power forwards above, but he’s most impactful as a help-defender rather than guarding these superstars on the ball. Enter Alex Caruso. The veteran and now two-time champion plays well above his weight and has the instincts and motor to bother elite scorers. Check out Caruso’s film against Nikola Jokic last playoffs for a prime example. 

Oklahoma City wants to manage Caruso’s minutes again this regular season, but they may need to unleash him during the first month before enabling restrictions. If Caruso is his usual self, then the Thunder should be able to weather the storm until the return of Jalen and Kenrich Williams.