The Thunder have their 15-man roster locked going into next season. They currently have one two-way contract available. OKC IS currently focused on getting prepared for next season in hopes of defending their title. The Thunder chose to run it back with mostly the same group. However, the Thunder will have two new options at their disposal off the bench. They are Nikola Topic, who missed his rookie season due to an ACL injury, and their recent first-round pick in Thomas Sorber. Moreover, next season will be important for Sorber. Now, you may be asking yourself why would a rookie’s season or development be important for a team that just came off winning the NBA title?
There is a very specific reason why his development and rookie season will be important, and that is that Sorber will essentially be the replacement for Isaiah Hartenstein. Next offseason, the extensions for Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams will start to kick in, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s right around the corner. In addition, Hartenstein and Lu Dort both have team options next offseason, and the Thunder might be forced to lose both or one due to them not being able to pay everyone. The person they most likely will let go of will be Hartenstein, and that is where Sorber will essentially replace him. Let’s dive into why this season is important for Sorber
This Season Will be Extremely Important for Thunder Rookie
The Thunder Needs to Find Minutes for Sorber
The best way to give someone experience is to give them playing time. This way, they can make mistakes and learn from those mistakes, while growing as a basketball player. This is exactly what the Thunder need to try and do for Sorber. OKC should find playing time for him next season in order for him to develop. Last season would have been perfect for Sorber to develop, as Hartenstein and Holmgren missed a ton of time last year. However, next season might not be the case for that.
The good news is that the Thunder have a great coach who does a solid job of getting everyone decent playing time throughout the season. Mark Daigneault tries to play everyone throughout the season in different situations for a very specific reason. That reason is that when the playoffs come and a specific situation occurs, the team is comfortable showing a look for that situation instead of going to it for the first time. Daigneault will once again have to do a good job in trying to find minutes for Sorber next season to help develop him.
Hartenstein Should Take Sorber Under His Wing
Since Sorber is a rookie, and the Thunder are competing for a championship next season in hopes of defending their title, it will be hard for them to find minutes for a rookie on a loaded roster and be comfortable with him making mistakes. That is where Hartenstein will play a pivotal role in his development. Sorber’s play style is very similar to Hartenstein’s as Sorber is a post scorer, a rebounder, a solid rim protector, and has shown flashes with his passing ability.
Hartenstein needs to take Sorber under his wing this upcoming season, and Sorber needs to do all he can to learn from Hartenstein. This will help him with his development in case he is unable to get consistent minutes next season. The Thunder had a ton of injuries last season that allowed certain players to have a bigger role. However, the Thunder can’t and shouldn’t bank on injuries to happen to give players like Sorber minutes. The Thunder want to stay as healthy as possible, and if that happens, it will be hard for Sorber to find consistent minutes. This is why Hartenstein taking Sorber under his wing will be crucial.
Why Sorber’s Development Will Impact the Thunder’s Future
Sorber development will be crucial for the Thunder’s future for a couple of reasons. The first one is that next offseason, they might be forced to let go of Hartenstein and will need to find a replacement for him. The second reason is that the Thunder were better last year with three centers they could rotate in and out, and if Sorber can’t be the player they hope for, then they will be back to relying heavily on Chet being the only real center, with a smaller Jaylin Williams being the backup. The Thunder’s key to sustaining long-term success will come down to how well they can replace guys they are unable to keep and not lose too much ground when that happens. The first test in this could very well be replacing Hartenstein with Sorber.
The Last Word on This Season Being Important for Sorber
The Thunder are in a tricky position next season with their 15-man roster. They have to balance playing their best players and competing, while also getting certain players to further develop. Sorber is one of those players who might not immediately help the Thunder win now, but still needs to get some minutes to help him grow and develop, as he will be important for the Thunder’s future. After next season, if the Thunder don’t see enough from Sorber to make them feel comfortable letting Hartenstein go and be forced to keep him another year, it could ultimately force Dort to walk, which would be even worse for the Thunder. The Thunder has everything they need to sustain long-term success, and this might very well be the first test in that.
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