Thunder Preseason: Trio Of Potential Future Stars Appear Ready To Support Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
MONTREAL, CANADA - OCTOBER 12: Ausar Thompson #9 of the Detroit Pistons dribbles the ball against ... [+]
Getty ImagesJust over two weeks ago, the Oklahoma City Thunder entered training camp with a rigorous slate of practices and games set to take place. This timeframe is the prime opportunity for the roster to start meshing and for individual players to earn a spot on the team and roles within the rotation.
The five-game preseason slate that took place this month was a glimpse into what the Thunder could look like this season and the ceiling the team has overall.
From both an individual player and team standpoint, there were quite a few positive trends that emerged from the preseason.
Emerging Supporting Trio
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander proved that he is a solidified superstar last season, earning an All-NBA First Team nod. While he’s still just now reaching his prime and has plenty of room to expand his game, the current and future success of Oklahoma City will hinge on the core that surrounds him.
Most notably, a group of young three players seems to be the pieces that could move the needle alongside Gilgeous-Alexander during this era of Thunder basketball.
Josh Giddey, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren will work alongside Gilgeous-Alexander as the core of four players that are the cornerstones of the roster. Throughout the preseason, they each shined bright in various ways. But what was most impressive was their contributions without Gilgeous-Alexander on the floor. He only played in two of the five contests, which allowed the other three to show just how talented they are and play in a more enhanced role.
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Not only is the Thunder’s future bright, but the team could legitimately make the playoffs this season given how good this core could be.
Potential Davis Bertans Renaissance
It’s no secret that Davis Bertans is a fantastic shooter, but he’s struggled over the past few years. In what has been a positive change of scenery to this point, the Latvian forward looks primed for a season in which he can get his career back on track.
Through four preseason games, he converted on 52.4% of his 5.3 attempts from deep per contest. This resulted in him producing nine points in just over 10 minutes per contest. It’s early, but Bertans could be a key piece of the roster this season in OKC.
Quality Backup Center Options
Just based on last season, Oklahoma City proved it had viable center options even if they weren’t projected to be the starters for the next decade. With that in mind, Holmgren now being in the fold will allow the Thunder to have good backup center options.
We already have seen Aleksej Pokusevski be an effective backup big, although he didn’t play in the preseason. Jaylin Williams also proved to be a quality center down the stretch of the 2022-23 campaign, but still had room to improve. He was fantastic during the preseason, primed to be perhaps the full-time backup center to Holmgren.
In any case, having that depth will be crucial throughout the season.
Legitimate Bench Depth
Speaking of depth, Oklahoma City will have the opportunity to roll out one of the best reserve units in the NBA. Whether it’s shooting defense, shooting, playmaking or anything in-between, the Thunder bench has it all.
Even outside of the players already mentioned, Ousmane Dieng appears to be ready to play significant minutes as a reserve, while Isaiah Joe can continue to be a lights out shooter from deep. Furthermore, rookies Cason Wallace and Vasilije Micic will have the chance to each run the second unit and ensure the offensive efficiency stays high when the full starting lineup isn’t in.
Team Efficiency
A big theme at media day was efficiency. In all aspects of the game, taking the next step forward requires doing things efficiently. Last season, Oklahoma City did struggle in that regard, but took a step forward in the preseason.
The Thunder scored on 46.6% of its field goal attempts (13th in NBA) while also knocking down 36.3% of its triples (10th). Facilitated by great ball movement, effective cuts and the fact that the roster is full of smart players was evident.
The preseason isn’t always a full indicator of success during the regular season, but it’s directionally helpful. Either way, the OKC Thunder is primed for a breakout season with it’s core of four rising stars.
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