OKC Thunder Need Big Opening Night from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

The Thunder need to see their star shine on ring night.

Oct 9, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander smiles during warm ups before a game between the Charlotte Hornets and the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City is set for its opening night matchup against the Houston Rockets, and it needs a big night from its superstar.

On Tuesday night, the Thunder will be getting their rings and raising their 2025 championship banner. While it will be a night of celebration for their big accomplishment, the Thunder won’t want their championship rings to be the only thing shining.

Coming off an MVP season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be looking to start this season off on the right foot. With the Thunder opening the year at home for the first time since 2017-18, Gilgeous-Alexander might have a bit more juice with the Paycom Center crowd behind him.

Of course, the story of Tuesday night’s matchup is also about who won’t be behind him, as Jalen Williams is set to miss the start of the season as he recovers from his wrist injury that he fought through in the playoffs to deliver a title. While the Thunder will happily let their All-Star have as much time as he needs to recover, it also means they will need a big performance from Gilgeous-Alexander to make up for his absence.

Jun 22, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) dribbles the ball against the Indiana Pacers during the first half of game seven of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Throughout last season, the Thunder were playing shorthanded, and Gilgeous-Alexander consistently stepped up. While it will be tough to deliver a big game in the first outing of the year, the reigning MVP is always ready to perform when the season tips off, as displayed by his impressive performance in Denver last season.

However, getting off to a great start will be tougher than usual against a team as good as Houston is on the defensive end. With athletic defenders such as Amen Thompson and Tari Eason ready to give Gilgeous-Alexander problems, he’ll need to find creative ways to beat a Rockets team that is more than willing to use a zone against Oklahoma City, too.

Of course, the Thunder are in a great spot with their superstar, given that he’s not only coming off one of the best individual seasons in recent history but also an impressive preseason sample size. Across three halves of preseason basketball, Gilgeous-Alexander shot a ridiculous 20-of-24 from the floor.

Oklahoma City’s hopes of winning on ring night will likely come down to its MVP’s ability to take over. Considering he hit the 50-point mark four times last season and added another nine 40-point games, it’s clear that Gilgeous-Alexander can put together a huge performance.

While Gilgeous-Alexander will be getting a little hardware ahead of Tuesday night’s battle, a big night could help build his case for some more in 2026.

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