Scrappy Thunder Were Competitive but Outmatched on Opening Night
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Despite starting its season with a loss, Oklahoma City showed that it has a deep, competitive rotation that will keep many of the Thunder’s contests close this season. Even if OKC doesn’t finish with a large win total, the team’s constant fight and refusal to back down will make every game entertaining.
For a young rebuilding team, this is the best case scenario. While the youthful Thunder have plenty of talent, their lack of age, size and experience leaves Oklahoma City overmatched by most other NBA teams.
While OKC may not have these intangibles, their up-and-coming roster plays with pride, and will happily go toe to toe with anyone they come across. In the team’s season opener on Wednesday, the Thunder were opposed by two of the league’s best big men, which is a major weak spot for Oklahoma City.
The duo of all-star forward Karl-Anthony Towns and three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert destroyed OKC on Wednesday, looking as if they would be relaxing on the sideline prematurely after taking a 16-point lead early in the second half. In the same situation, many squads would have given up, and fallen into an even larger deficit.
The Thunder, down rookie wing Jalen Williams, clawed its way back into the game, going on a 25-7 run in the third quarter to give Oklahoma City a lead late in the game. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company couldn’t quite pull off the upset, but the team showed its scrappy nature and willingness to bring the fight to its opponents on a nightly basis.
Head coach Mark Daigneault checked 13 players into Wednesday night’s contest against the Timberwolves, with Jaylin Williams and Aaron Wiggins being the only active roster members to not hear their name called. Sharpshooter Lindy Waters III was inactive on Wednesday evening.
The lack of playing time for Wiggins is interesting, especially considering OKC’s loss of rookie wing Jalen Williams in the second quarter after the Santa Clara product took an elbow to the face. Instead of Wiggins filling in for Williams, Daigneault turned to Eugene Omoruyi, who finished the night with four points and four rebounds while going 1-of-5 from the field.
Being so early in the season, the selection of players seeing the court will certainly change, and could even be different by the Thunder’s next contest; a Saturday night showdown against reigning back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets. With Oklahoma City’s lack of depth and size at center, it would not be shocking to see Jaylin Williams earn time on the floor in OKC’s second game.
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