Branden Carlson will move into the starting lineup Friday when Oklahoma City faces Denver, stepping in after three frontcourt regulars were ruled out. Chet Holmgren is out with a back injury, Isaiah Hartenstein is out with a calf injury and Jaylin Williams is out with an Achilles injury.
The 26-year-old Carlson has already made two starts this season, and in those games he has averaged 8.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.5 blocks and 0.5 steals in 20.5 minutes. That gives the Thunder a familiar option in the middle as they adjust to the absences against Denver.
Friday’s assignment is straightforward for Carlson: hold the paint, rebound and give Oklahoma City enough minutes up front to keep the game on schedule. The bigger issue for the Thunder is that Holmgren, Hartenstein and Williams are all unavailable at the same time, leaving the team thin in the frontcourt on a night when it meets Denver.
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How Oklahoma City handles the minutes behind Carlson will tell the story from there, but the immediate answer is clear. He gets the start, and the Thunder need him to play like someone who has already shown he can fill that role.
