Thunder make huge starting lineup decision with Isaiah Hartenstein for Game 1 of NBA Finals

Billy Heyen

Thunder make huge starting lineup decision with Isaiah Hartenstein for Game 1 of NBA Finals image

The Oklahoma City Thunder are changing their starting lineup.

It's Game 1 of the NBA Finals, quite a time to do it, but OKC is trying to best match up with the Indiana Pacers.

Usual starting center Isaiah Hartenstein is going to the bench.

Scrappy guard Cason Wallace is in the starting lineup.

Wallace is joined by the usual other four: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren.

It shocked NBA social media when the lineup came out about half an hour before tip-off.

It's an entirely different look for the Thunder.

Expect Holmgren to match up with Pacers center Myles Turner.

Indiana doesn't play much of a traditional power forward, though, instead using Pascal Siakam at that spot. Williams can guard him just fine.

Gilgeous-Alexander, Dort and Wallace will be involved in an intense perimeter defense against Tyrese Haliburton and company.

This is a cool move by Mark Daigneault to try and maximize his team's potential in the Finals.

MORE: The crazy OKC Thunder coincidence of Jalen Williams and Jaylin Williams

Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle