Thunder Role Player Discusses Finding Ways to Impact Off the Bench

The Oklahoma City Thunder are building something special. After dominating the league last season and winning the first NBA championship in their franchise’s history, they’ve come out this year looking even stronger. 

As of Thursday, the Thunder are on pace for one of the best regular seasons in NBA history. They are currently 24–2, and seem widely unstoppable. 

One of the things that makes the Thunder so dangerous is their depth. The Thunder haven’t even had a fully healthy roster this season and are still taking care of teams like it’s nothing. 

Aaron Wiggins, a key role player for the Thunder, discussed the culture in Oklahoma City that allows role players to thrive regardless of their position on the team or the amount of playing time they receive. 

"A lot of us who are coming from the G League, two-ways, finding a way to get a role, you had to be able to adapt to different situations. In my rookie and second year playing, I was playing like five-man minutes sometimes. That's something I took pride in… Mark [Daigneault] is gonna experiment... He's gonna throw you in there when you least expect it. There's gonna be moments where you might be ready, and he doesn't go to you, and there's gonna be moments when you're not ready, and he calls you. You gotta be as ready as you can be."

Championship teams need everyone on the roster to buy in. That means the 15th man on the roster is just as locked in on the team's goals as the star player. Mark Daigneault has built that type of culture in Oklahoma City.

As the Thunder continue to navigate their title defense, having the “next man up” mentality will be key. Not only will it allow the Thunder’s stars to rest or take longer to recover from any injuries they may have, but it will also give their role players experience that could prove vital come playoff time.