Kenrich Williams Discusses Nikola Topic's Future With OKC Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder are taking on the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals, but the Thunder still have a young promising prospect in Nikola Topic that is ready to make an impact next season. Just ask his teammates.

Nikola Topic is pictured during the Thunder media day at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, on Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. | NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder are battling the Indiana Pacers in the 2025 NBA Finals, down 0-1 in the series they have to play catchup in its quest for its first NBA Championship.

Regardless if this series ends in jubilation, or bitter disappointment, the OKC Thunder will be adding a lottery pick to next year's rotation in rookie Nikola Topic.

Topic was the No. 12 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft after being considered a top five talent in his class until injuries bumped him down the board. Now, after a year of rehabbing, his teammates continue to cast praise onto him for his work behind the scenes.

Most recently at NBA Finals Media Day, Kenrich Williams offered up a scouting report on the Thunder rookie and how his skillset translates to the NBA.

"Good ball handler, he is your modern NBA point guard. Get to the rim, very good passer, he gotta be like, what, 19? and he plays like a 30 year old vet, that is how I can describe him," veteran Kenrich Williams said this week.

Williams didn't just give a scouting report on Topic but spoke to what his future could hold after sharing the floor with him recently.

"He can be very good, he can be very good. Just watching him coming back from his ACL injury, being on the court with him just a little bit, I got to play with him just a little bit, he has a very, very bright future," Williams added.

Williams was not the only player to lob praise at Topic this week, defensive-ace Lu Dort did as well discussing watching the rookies rehab process to date and highlighting a key trait of his.

"He's been doing a lot of his recovery stuff but you can see the talent and how much more comfortable with the ball. Recently, he started playing with us and be a little more active with us," Dort said of Topic. "He's still getting back from his injury but I can see just how comfortable with the ball and the type of player he's going to be."

Topic can open up the floor for the Thunder's secondary unit as a table setter to make life easier on Oklahoma City's offense when superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is off the floor. This will be one of the key storylines to watch next season in Bricktown no matter if they win the NBA Finals or not.