Three Burning Questions Ahead of the Thunder Preseason
One month from today, the Oklahoma City Thunder will open their preseason slate.
While clearly still entrenched in a rebuild, Sam Presti’s eclectic collection of young prospects should provide plenty of intrigue.
But the Thunder are still years away from competing for a playoff spot, at least on paper, and the 2022 NBA Draft is shaping up nicely again at the top.
What will the OKC roster look like under Mark Daigneault in 2021? Here are three burning questions for the upcoming season:
How much will Shai Gilgeous-Alexander play?
Presti’s move for the former Kentucky star looked genius last year, as Oklahoma City’s new franchise cornerstone took another giant leap on the floor, playing at fringe All-Star levels.
The only problem was that Thunder fans only got to see him take the floor 35 times.
OKC played it safe with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, opting to sit him on the sidelines while he healed from Plantar Fasciitis in the hopes that it would prevent Gilgeous-Alexander from being saddled with a lingering injury.
It appears that mission was successful, but it will be intriguing to see just how much run Gilgeous-Alexander gets this upcoming season. The Thunder aren’t expected to be a contender for anything other than the No. 1-overall pick, and while Gilgeous-Alexander’s continued development, winning isn’t the top priority this year.
How good will Josh Giddey be?
The Thunder raised a few eyebrows by taking the 6-foot-8 Australian point guard with the No. 6-overall pick.
Unfortunately, Josh Giddey didn’t get a chance to leave an impression on anyone during the NBA Summer League, as he logged five minutes before a sprained ankle kept him sidelined for the rest of OKC’s stay in Las Vegas.
OKC’s sixth pick is the highest they’ve drafted since the James Harden draft, so there will be massive expectations on Giddey that were not placed at other Thunder rookies from the jump.
Giddey will hope to follow in the footsteps of LaMelo Ball, making the seamless transition from Australia’s NBL to the NBA, becoming an immediate contributor as a rookie.
Make or break for Bazley?
Darius Bazley has a big year ahead of him.
The former New Balance intern has flashed great potential in his first two seasons with the Thunder, but he’s also been infuriatingly inconsistent.
Bazley needs to start off 2021 on the right foot, because if he doesn’t there may be options behind him who need the minutes.
Aleksej Pokusevski actually had a nice close to his rookie season after a rocky start, and he could be primed to push Bazley in his sophomore campaign.
If Bazley is unable to take a step forward, he may risk traveling the path of Hamidou Diallo, getting dealt at the deadline as the Presti opts to roll the dice on another asset instead of extending Bazley.
A great season, however, will cement Bazley as a part of the Thunder future, allowing Presti to build a team around Gilgeous-Alexander, Bazley and Lu Dort.
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