Three Burning Questions Ahead of OKC Thunder Media Day

Oklahoma City will host its annual media day next week, giving reporters a chance to speak with players and coaches ahead of the upcoming season.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have received a considerable amount of buzz from the national media heading into the 2023-24 season. 

After an impressive campaign in 2022-23 that saw OKC win 16 more games than oddsmakers predicted heading into the year, the Thunder seem poised to be even more competitive this season. 

With Thunder Media Day slated for Monday, Oct. 2, here are three burning questions heading into 2023-24.

How do OKC's four rookies fit with the team?

Oklahoma City added two more young prospects in the NBA draft over the offseason, picking Cason Wallace at pick No. 10 and Keyontae Johnson at pick No. 50. 

While Johnson is on a two-way deal and will likely spend the majority of his rookie year in the G League, Wallace could find a role in the lineup early in the season. The 6-foot-4 guard from Kentucky is an outstanding defender and passer who could be a major asset to the Thunder's bench unit.

Wallace has also shown promise as a 3-point shooter, knocking down six shots from beyond the arc in his Summer League debut. 

In addition to Wallace and Johnson, the Thunder also added Vasilije Micic and will be bringing back Chet Holmgren, who missed what would have been his rookie season with a foot injury.

Micic, who is 29-years-old, is also an unconventional rookie. The Serbian star was drafted in 2014 but didn't decide to leave the EuroLeague until this summer. 

A two-time EuroLeague Finals MVP, Micic has the skill and experience to make an impact early in OKC. 

Still, the Thunder bring back all of their most important players from 2022-23, meaning that Micic, Holmgren and Wallace will have to play very well to become fully ingrained in the team's rotation.

While Holmgren will likely start for Oklahoma City, it will be intriguing to see how big the 7-footer's role on the team is as a rookie. 

What is Davis Bertans role in Oklahoma City?

On draft night, Sam Presti and company made a trade with the Dallas Mavericks that included the team taking on veteran forward Davis Bertans' contract. While many around the league believe that the sharpshooter from Latvia is overpaid, he provides a skill set that could greatly benefit the Thunder. 

Bertans has a career 3-point percentage of 39.8%, which is very solid for a 6-foot-10, 225-pound forward. While the "Latvian Laser" had a down year in Dallas last season, it would not be surprising to see him return to form in Oklahoma City. 

Bertans could even take on a similar role to that of Al Horford during his brief stint with the Thunder. After being seen as a salary dump upon his arrival in the Modern Frontier, Horford played well for OKC and was traded to the Celtics for valuable assets. 

Will added expectations put more pressure on the Thunder?

Last season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company caught almost everyone in the NBA world by surprise. After winning 24 games in 2021-22, OKC turned its fortunes around, winning 40 games and earning a postseason berth in 2022-23. 

After this stellar season, Oklahoma City has gotten much more positive attention from the media this offseason as opposed to last. With a roster filled with young players and a true superstar at their disposal, the Thunder have real expectations surrounding them in 2023-24.

With such a young team, will OKC be able to live up to these expectations? Could all the attention set the team back?

While the answer is probably a resounding no, it remains to be seen how the Thunder will perform when they are no longer the league's underdog story.

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