As the first-ever position battles begin in the Thunder's opening day of training camp Tuesday, coach P.J. Carlesimo's biggest challenge will be determining how to divvy up minutes among the team's glut of power forwards.
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With Nick Collison and Chris Wilcox returning, and the additions of veteran Joe Smith and rookie D.J. White, Carlesimo said the power forward spot is arguably the Thunder's deepest position.
"If it turns out that three or four of these guys are in our top eight or nine players, then we're going to be playing two (power forwards),” Carlesimo said. "We'll call one of them a (center), and one of them will have to guard the other team's center, but the reality is I think it's safe to say we're going to play a decent amount of minutes where we have two (power forwards) on the floor.”
Wilcox is the most likely candidate to start at one of the frontcourt positions. He started 55 games at power forward last year and averaged 14 points and 7.3 rebounds while shooting 52.8 percent in those contests. Collison could start the season as Wilcox's frontcourt mate. He averaged 10.9 points and 11.0 rebounds on 49 percent shooting in 35 games as a starter last season.
Although Wilcox and Collison have the advantage of a full year in Carlesimo's system, Smith, a 13-year veteran and former No. 1 overall pick, could supplant Wilcox or Collison as a starter and round out the Thunder's starting unit with a more seasoned player. He averaged 12.9 points and 5.8 rebounds in 36 games as a starter last season in Chicago and Cleveland.
Throw in second-year man Jeff Green, a multi-dimensional player who Carlesimo likes to play at power forward when opting for a smaller rotation, and the balancing act gets trickier.
"We need to figure out — and hopefully we're getting to the point where we have more ability this year and more talent — what groups play well together,” Carlesimo said. "Are we going to have to play some of the older guys with some of the younger guys? Are we going to play the younger guys together and have that be our enthusiasm and effort group? Or do we have to mix it up? The players are going to define that.”
The logjam at power forward also puts added pressure on another group of Thunder players — the centers, Robert Swift, Johan Petro and Mouhamed Sene, who is recovering from knee surgery and will miss the start of the season.
Carlesimo said the trio of centers, all of whom are 22, will have to earn their minutes now more than ever.
"I would prefer that they do that,” Carlesimo said. "If Robert and Johan can give us productive minutes with a 7-footer on the floor, a guy who's more suited to being a center, that would make me happy. But if they can't, then guess what, the (power forwards) are going to eat into their minutes.”
Carlesimo will have just eight days, starting Tuesday, to settle on a preliminary rotation before the team's first preseason game against Minnesota on Oct. 8.
"That first stretch of five games in seven days, we'll probably lean more toward the guys who have been here or the guys who have been in the league for a little bit,” Carlesimo said. "But October is going to be really big for us to sort out what combinations do work well together and what guys might give us more coming off the bench regardless if they may prefer to start.”
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