What to Watch For in OKC Thunder vs. Milwaukee Bucks as Regulars Return

The Oklahoma City Thunder should see its regular rotation return to the floor in the second preseason game of the season.

Oct 6, 2026; Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) watches the team play against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half at BOK Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Oklahoma City Thunder started its five-game preseason slate on Tuesday in Tulsa against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Thunder were without the majority of its regular rotational players. Oklahoma City is expected to see most of those in street clothes yesterday return to the hardwood on Wednesday against the Bucks in the Paycom Center.

Here is what to watch for in that contest.

Sep 28, 2026; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) poses for a photo during Oklahoma City Thunder Media Day at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What to Watch For in OKC Thunder vs. Milwaukee Bucks

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Playing off the Ball?

The Oklahoma City Thunder superstar spent the offseason working out away from the basketball for Team Canada and into his personal summer time training working on this different aspect of his game. Perhaps it is nothing of note, but perhaps it will be something that translates to the NBA level and gives the Thunder a different dynamic to its offense.

"Every season, and every off-season, I use it to try to find ways to become a more well-rounded basketball player. And that was just an area of the game where I felt like I could be a better basketball player. And some summers, it's defense; some summers, it's off-the-dribble shooting; some summers, it's posting up. And yeah, nothing more than that. Just try to become the best basketball player I can be when it's all said and done," Gilgeous-Alexander explained at Media Day.

Playing alongside Jalen Williams in that starting lineup, with the chance of Cason Wallace stepping up more on the ball, do we at all see Gilgeous-Alexander playing an off-the-ball role this season and attacking off the catch? Tonight would be the best time to see it in a low leverage game and if not tonight then you question if this is truly going to be part of what this team's identity is.

Jalen Williams Back to Full Force?

Williams is expected to finally return to the hardwood tonight for a fresh start in the 2026-27 campaign after dealing with a frustrating injury riddled season in 2025-26. The All-NBA wing will be put under a microscope for how he is physically moving on the court and this scribe thinks even in a small sample size of a half of a preseason game at most, Williams will prove to everyone he is still one of the top 25 players in the world pretty comfortably.

Chet Holmgren's Jumper

Last season Holmgren enjoyed career-best marks in the regular season earning a spot on the All-NBA team while helping lift the Thunder past the first two rounds of the playoffs sweeping the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers. The Gonzaga product was a disaster against the San Antonio Spurs and part of that was due to his inability to shoot over smaller closeouts when the Spurs and other teams would cross-match against Holmgren to keep their big at the rim. Is Holmgren's jump shot higher, quicker, smoother in this game will be the biggest aspect you are looking for but it extends to his entire offensive game. Are there new scoring moves in his bag? Is he more aggressive rolling to the rim instead of depending on popping out of screens? What Holmgren looks like is a massive question to follow the entire season and it begins tonight in the preseason contest with the Bucks.