Nikola Topic Can Learn From OKC Thunder Teammates the Path to Early Playing Time

Oklahoma City is in a prime position to compete for another championship as the season starts back up in October. Going back-to-back is easier said than done, but the Thunder will undoubtedly be the odds on favorite to win the NBA title. It’s a great spot to be in for the team and the fans, but it’s not the best spot to be in for a talented rookie trying to break into the rotation. If there’s one thing we know about Mark Daigneault, though, it’s that he’ll give everyone a chance to make an impact regardless of age.

Nikola Topic was the Thunder’s lottery pick a season ago, and likely would’ve been drafted even higher had he not suffered an injury that teams knew would keep him sidelined all last season. With the injury behind him now, he has to find a way to crack the Thunder’s loaded rotation.

He’s a talented player that clearly fills a few of the Thunder’s needs. He’s a solid ball-handler, he has strong basketball IQ, and he can be another creator to take the pressure off of the Thunder’s other guards. Those skills were on display during the Thunder’s Summer League session. Topic was relatively inconsistent, but the flashes of greatness were obvious — he has all the skills to be a terrific young player in this league.

As he navigates the fight for playing time, he has two prime examples to take notes from in Cason Wallace and Ajay Mitchell. Both youngsters on the current Thunder squad, both Wallace and Mitchell found a way to unexpectedly break into Oklahoma City’s rotation from Game 1. Now, it’s Topic’s turn to learn from them and find a way to play early on, too.

For Cason Wallace, consistency was key — Oklahoma City’s staff knew what they were going to get every single night. Mark Daigneault talked about it often in reference to Lindy Waters III — sometimes, coaches love to see predictability in role players. Very little variance is a good thing on a good team, it’s hard to have inconsistent wild cards.

Wallace was an elite defender from day one and he brought the effort and intensity every single night. He understood his role and found a way to get better at it each game. He became a solid spot up shooter, knew where to be on the floor when the Thunder’s guards picked up their dribble, and always beat opponents down the floor in transition.

For Ajay Mitchell, his ability to take care of the ball and never turn it over was key. As a young guard in the NBA, it’s easy to experiment and get careless with the basketball. Mitchell knew he couldn’t afford to do that if he wanted to play, though.

Mitchell was also a reliable shooter and knocked down triples at a high clip. The coaches trusted him to hold his own on defense, and he succeeded.

What Topic can take away from both Wallace and Mitchell is that giving full effort on the defensive end and taking care of the basketball is key. He can still shine in his role and use his creativity on the floor while being a low-turnover, predictable player. Oklahoma City doesn’t need a high-volume shot taker that can be turnover prone. He needs to follow his teammates lead and let the game come to him.