Amid a 13-6 start, the Oklahoma City Thunder has prompted questions. Maybe even a mailbag’s worth.

What’s worked? Why is your favorite player playing the way they are? What have you hoped to see?

With the first edition of his Thunder mailbag, The Oklahoman’s Thunder beat writer, Joel Lorenzi, will answer those questions. Or whatever else you throw at him.

To make future editions of the mailbag, email questions to jlorenzi@oklahoman.com or message him on Twitter @jxlorenzi.

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@OKCobstinacy: If you could pick any non-starter C/PF for the Thunder to go out and acquire, who would it be and why? For me, it’s either Kelly Olynyk or Isaiah Hartenstein.

There are too many things to consider when adding someone to this mix.

So, a few things to note before my list of possible additions: This obviously isn’t the move (or at least the only move) I think the Thunder would need to make to contend. I’m not sure that move can come at the deadline. I think you know that, otherwise you would’ve just asked something along the lines of what the Lauri Markkanen trade package looks like.

I hear the fans saying Oklahoma City is in its championship window. I also hear the development stuff. I think parts of each can be true. So long as the Thunder’s core is this good, its bench is this cheap and its assets are this heavy, it can be forceful. But dealing for a guy at the deadline — even if it is someone as good as Markkanen — won’t push a team largely without playoff experience to the NBA Finals this year (that’s a different conversation for another day).

Adding someone with less responsibility at the deadline can be interesting, though. If you’re asking me to add someone to this team, beware that I’m not Sam Presti. I also don’t know that, if the reserves are the team’s priority at the deadline, that this position is the top priority.

Nevertheless, here we go:

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Kelly Olynyk

Good choice here, Obstinacy. Probably the best of the ones I surveyed. Olynyk just checks off so many boxes as a connective, glue guy of a big. He’s averaged 7.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and shot 47.1% from 3 on 1.8 attempts for the Jazz this year.

It goes without saying that Olynyk can stretch the floor. Teams really can’t sag off him or think twice the way they’ve done with Jaylin Williams at times. With his connective passing, he could play alongside a Jaylin Williams, a Kenrich Williams, and probably any random Williams you drum up.

He’s probably the most skilled (and creative) passer on this list. He’s been the ball handler in ball screens and dotted both roll men and corner shooters. He’s thrown lobs. He’s been a dribble handoff hub. He’d probably have to be next to another big man for defensive purposes, but he just makes sense in so many lineups and helps as a rebounder. He’s been good in transition, at the rim, and just overall in his role.

I can see a lineup like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander-Cason Wallace-Jalen Williams-Kelly Olynyk-Chet Holmgren headbutting a zone. I can also see Olynyk helping blend some of the non-SGA, JDub-led lineups together when those groups are searching for some pop. Olynyk is just a useful passer and screener and can get some of those guys better looks, while also forcing defenders to, well, defend him.

As for your Hartenstein love, I get it. He’s energetic and an active offense rebounder. But my vision doesn’t really include non-shooters. If it did, he’d be up there.

Dario Saric

For an 11-seed Warriors team that has caught some tough breaks and hasn’t exactly been perfect, Saric has been a bright spot. After all, he was helpful to OKC after the deadline last season. This year, he’s averaging 10.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and shooting 37.6 from deep on 4.3 attempts in 21.7 minutes.

Pretty similar to Olynyk here in that Saric will stretch the floor, and while he might not be the exact passer, he’s hardly looked out of place in Golden State’s lineups — which I imagine requires more precision than most teams in the league.

His rebounding is probably skewed by some of the guys he shares the floor with, which can be said for Olynyk but I think especially applies here. His shooting has come at real volume, which would help maintain OKC’s uber-efficient start.

Jalen Smith

Hear me out. This one requires a bit of a leap of faith. Smith’s 15.4 minutes per game for the Pacers isn’t the same sample as the previous two players, but he’s been interesting.

He’s averaged 10 points, 5.5 boards and knocked down 14 of his 21 3-pointers this season.

He’s not exactly a playmaker. He’s more of a stretch big and large body for Indiana to deploy. Those limitations mean he’s probably not the best candidate here. But it also feels like he hasn’t yet reached the destination where he’ll play as comfortably as possible.

Honorable mention: Naz Reid 

Reid would be insanely high on this list if I thought Minnesota would actually deal him away. Just doesn’t make a ton of sense for the West’s top seed, even if it does feel it can eventually separate its big men group. Reid’s a good shooter, smart player, is super creative and has obviously proved he can play with other good bigs.

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@PepsiUnited: Why doesn't Vasilije Micic play? He is plus-11 per 100 without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the floor - clearly the best statistical option to go to among guards and yet he gets DNPs. What's the reasoning behind it?

I’m not sure how much room there is for him. He came to the NBA as a guard whose best traits were his shooting and added playmaking. But his passing hasn’t been overwhelming to the point Mark Daigneault should force him into certain scenarios.

Daigneault has staggered Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, so one of those guys is almost always running a unit as its primary initiator. Micic has seemingly been used at times to bridge the gap between a primary initiator and some sort of 3-and-D guy he shares the floor with.

At times it’s been Josh Giddey (who could be viewed as the secondary in those lineups) and Lu Dort. Other times it’s been JDub and Wallace, or JDub and Isaiah Joe. Micic is supposed to serve as the connective, secondary ball handler there. But it just hasn’t all been pretty.

Roll the tape so far and you’ll see a lot of contested 3s, some airballs, and some end-of-clock stuff that makes you wonder how he got in those positions. He doesn’t always generate the separation he should, whether that’s on drives or in the pick-and-roll.

According to Synergy, 51.9% of his possessions have come as a pick-and-roll ball handler. He’s generated 0.725 points per possession on those, which the site rates as “Below Average.” With every PNR he runs, he’s probably taking one from Jalen Williams. If he’s meant to be a spot up, then it probably minimizes his passing some. And in that case, I’m not sure why Wallace and Joe wouldn’t just play next to Williams.

This young team has panned out to be surprisingly deep, even while still claiming to be in its developmental stages. There might not be much room for Micic to find his role with this team specifically. He turns 30 in January, so he is who he is.

With a niche role and less room for error than most, I don’t know who he’d consistently play over.

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Thunder vs. Houston

7 p.m. Wednesday at Toyota Center in Houston (Bally Sports Oklahoma)

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Thunder mailbag: Should Vasilije Micic play more without SGA?