Preseason Action Will be an Important First Step for the Youthful Thunder

Preseason wins and losses don’t count.

That’s kind of the point.

But this preseason in particular marks an important step in the future of the Oklahoma City Thunder franchise.

Fresh off his contract extension, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will return to action as he’s finally healthy. The Thunder managed his foot injury throughout last season in the hopes to preventing any long-term physical issues, and it appears they succeeded in their goal.

Healthy and ready to return to the floor, there are no longer questions about Gilgeous-Alexander’s ability to lead the team.

General manager Sam Presti said even he was unsure of exactly what they had in their star point guard ahead of last year since OKC would be asking him to do something he had never done before in the NBA, run his own team.

Even though his appearances were limited last year, Gilgeous-Alexander left no doubt to exactly the kind of player he could be. Taking steps forward in his playmaking and shot creation, the former Kentucky guard looked every bit the franchise piece the Thunder hoped he could be.

Now, Oklahoma City will be focused on his supporting cast.

Last year’s rookie class of Theo Maledon and Aleksej Pokusevski had volatile years last year, and have done little to answer how exactly they’ll improve this offseason, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Pokusevski was held out of Summer League play so that he could focus on improving his body and add strength to his slight frame.

The preseason will offer the first look at just how much physicality the Serbian can take.

Maledon was on a much different offseason plan, as Oklahoma City sent him to lead the Summer League excursion in Las Vegas, where he had mixed results.

In the opener against the Detroit Pistons, he outplayed No. 1-overall pick Cade Cunningham for stretches of the game, something that should be expected of a second year player coming up against a rookie in his first NBA action, but then Maledon tailed off.

The French point guard struggled to shoot the ball over his final four games in Las Vegas, and he continued to turn the ball over as the Thunder asked him to be more aggressive.

Though his play could be a red flag, Presti also stressed that Summer League is more an exercise in team building rather than an actual indicator for future success. Presti said the team would learn more about every player in the first six days of training camp than they would throughout the entirety of Summer League, so Maledon has a chance to show he’s started to take the necessary steps to becoming a more reliable piece for OKC off the bench.

Another two players who missed out on the entire Summer League experience were Oklahoma City’s 2021 first-round picks in Josh Giddey and Tre Mann.

Giddey suffered an ankle sprain in the opening moments of OKC’s contest against the Pistons, and his injury held him out of the rest of the games in Las Vegas. Mann played in two games before withdrawing due to a personal matter.

The preseason will offer the first looks at both of the new Thunder guards, and will be especially important for Giddey as he moves to a secondary role running the offense, a position different that what he played in Australia’s NBL.

Gilgeous-Alexander and Giddey have both said they’ve done a good job sharing the ball with each other in training camp so far, but stepping onto the floor against an actual opponent is an important step for the pair to start forming their chemistry together.

Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said it’s unclear if forward Kenrich Williams or center Derrick Favors will be available for the preseason opener, which could open up extra minutes for Oklahoma City’s pair of second-round selections in Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Aaron Wiggins.

Robinson-Earl was probably the Thunder MVP in Las Vegas due to his defensive prowess and his ability to stretch the floor with perimeter shooting, but preseason action will be the first real test for him to see if his athleticism will translate to NBA competition.

The wins and losses won’t count, and poor performances in preseason are not cause for full-blown panic, but the experience gained over the next four games for the young members of the Thunder will be invaluable heading into opening night on Oct. 20.

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