{"id":161756,"date":"2025-10-07T21:02:37","date_gmt":"2025-10-08T01:02:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=161756"},"modified":"2025-10-07T21:02:37","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T01:02:37","slug":"okcs-rotation-look-after-nikola-topic-becomes-3rd-player-miss-start","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/10\/07\/okcs-rotation-look-after-nikola-topic-becomes-3rd-player-miss-start\/","title":{"rendered":"How Does OKC’s Rotation Look After Thunder Rookie Guard Becomes 3rd Player To Miss Start Of Regular Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Oklahoma City Thunder<\/a> will be severely shorthanded when the regular season begins. Nikola Topic<\/a> became the third player expected to miss the start of the regular season, according to Luke Adams of Hooprumors<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“The team has announced that Topic underwent a testicular procedure on Monday and will be reevaluated in four-to-six weeks,” Adams said. “That means his regular season NBA<\/a> debut won\u2019t happen until sometime in November, at the earliest.”<\/p>\n

How Does OKC’s Rotation Look After Thunder Rookie Guard Becomes 3rd Player To Miss Start Of Regular Season?<\/h2>\n

It is an unfortunate injury for Topic<\/a>, who sat out last season after tearing his ACL the previous year. The 2024 No. 12 pick was slated to be part of Mark Daignault<\/a>‘s deep rotation. Daignault likes to use a lot of players; he generally uses 10 or 11 players and nine or 10 players during the playoffs. Last year, 14 players saw 10 minutes or more of playing time per game.<\/p>\n

Topic looked good in the Thunder’s preseason opener. The 20-year-old started the game at the point, recording 10 points, seven assists, and four rebounds while knocking down 4-of-9 shots in OKC’s 135-114 preseason opening win over Charlotte<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Topic is the third Thunder player to be sidelined at the start of the season. With his projected timeline, Topic is expected to miss at least seven games and potentially up to 17. Kenrich Williams<\/a> and Thomas Sorber<\/a> will also miss time at the beginning of the season. Williams is out until mid-November as he recovers from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. Meanwhile, Sorber<\/a> will miss the entire campaign after tearing his ACL.<\/p>\n

With the injuries, OKC<\/a> will have 15 healthy players, including all three two-player positions. The good news is that the Thunder are deep, particularly in the backcourt. Also, Daignault has not played any of the starters in either of the Thunder’s first two exhibition games.<\/p>\n

Thunder’s 2025 Rotation<\/h3>\n
\"\"
Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cIf you don\u2019t pace ahead of that, you fall behind very quickly,\u201d Daignault said. ” That’s what every NBA team strives to do during the offseason<\/a> and into training camp. \u201cSo, I want to be clear that improvement is a necessity for us. We don\u2019t look at it as a luxury. It\u2019s something we have to do if we want to be good. In terms of the tangibles, a lot of it is getting a little better at the things that happen most often. We\u2019re not introducing anything new at this time. We\u2019ve got a system in place. The guys have a great fluency in that.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want to lose our continuity by turning everything over,” Daigneault added. “But, at the same time, we gotta go deeper on the things that are most important.”<\/p>\n

OKC has 15 players on standard contracts and is $1.9 million below the tax apron. The Thunder have one open two-way spot. Malevy Leons,<\/a> Zach Austin,<\/a> Chris Youngblood<\/a>, and Jazian Gortman<\/a>. All four players are on Exhibit 10 deals and will likely spend the season with the Thunder’s G-League affiliate, OKC Blue.<\/p>\n

Thunder’s Starters<\/h4>\n

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander<\/a>: Reigning regular and NBA Finals MVP who is the driving force of the Thunder.<\/p>\n

Lugentz Dort<\/a>: Dort is the defensive stopper on the Thunder’s first unit. He has always been a high-volume 3-point shooter, but has improved his accuracy to 40% over the last two seasons. The 26-year-old wing was a first-team all-NBA selection.<\/p>\n

Jalen Williams<\/a>: Williams is a strong two-way player who is coming off a career season. He is coming off a career season in which he was named to his first All-Star appearance and second-team All-NBA defense.<\/p>\n

Chet Holmgren<\/a>: Holmgren only played in 32 regular seasons but showed he could be one of the best bigs in the league during the Thunder’s playoff run. He is a fantastic rebounder and anchors the Thunder’s defense.<\/p>\n

Isaiah Hartenstein<\/a>: The Thunder were 26-9, including 15-5 in the postseason, when Holmgren and Hartenstein started together. Hartenstein is a perfect complement to Holmgren due to rebounding and physicality. He is coming off a career year.<\/p>\n

Second Unit<\/h4>\n

Alex Caruso<\/a>: Caruso is the anchor of the Thunder’s second unit and a defensive-minded guard who is an excellent 3-point shooter. He has not played in the preseason.<\/p>\n

Cason Wallace:<\/a> Wallace is a defensive ace who improved in year two and is a solid shooter. Wallace struggled mightily shooting against Dallas in his preseason debut.<\/p>\n

Aaron Wiggins<\/a>: Wiggins is a high-energy wing who is a slasher. The 26-year-old, who has not played this preseason, is coming off a career season. He is also a good 3-point shooter.<\/p>\n

Jaylin Williams<\/a>: Williams is a valuable member of the Thunder’s second unit who likely will have his most significant role this season. Williams is an outstanding screener and takes charge as he is a glue guy. The 23-year-old can stretch the floor, is a good rebounder, and a defender. He has shot the ball well this preseason, averaging 15.5 points and 4.5 threes while shooting 47.8% from the field and 47.4% from deep.<\/p>\n

Isaiah Joe<\/a>: Joe is an elite floor spacer who is coming off a career season and is a career 40% shooter from deep. Joe is coming off a career season and always shows up for work.<\/p>\n

Extended Second Unit<\/h4>\n

Ousmane Dieng:<\/a> Dieng has not seen much action in his first three seasons in the NBA. However, he has been very good in the G-League and is coming off a career season. The 22-year-old Frenchman has played very well during the two preseason games, though he struggled shooting the ball, making 39.3% of his shots from the field and 30% from the 3-point line.<\/p>\n

Ajay Mitchell<\/a>: Mitchell showed some promise as a rookie due to his all-around game. Mitchell has yet to play this offseason, as he is recovering from an ankle injury.<\/p>\n

Two-Way Players<\/h3>\n

Brendan Carlson<\/a>: Carlson, who is in his second season with the Thunder on a two-way contract, will provide depth up front. Carlson<\/a> saw action in 32 games last season. He was inefficient in 11 minutes against the Charlotte Hornets in the Thunder’s first preseason contest.<\/p>\n

Brooks Barnhizer<\/a>: Barnhizer has signed a two-way deal after being selected with the No. 44 pick. The 6-6 wing averages 11.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.5 steals, and 1.5 assists in 31 minutes this preseason.<\/p>\n

Players Possibly Competing For Thunder’s Last 2-Way Spot.<\/h4>\n

Malevy Leons: Leons, a versatile defender, saw action in 21 minutes over six games last year for the Thunder. The 26-year-old Netherlands native has done a good job on the glass and shooting the ball from deep. Over the first two preseason games, Leons averages 8.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.5 steals. He has also made 4 of 7 three-pointers, although he is shooting just 35.7% from the field and has turned the ball over seven times.<\/p>\n

Zach Austin: Austin, a high-energy defender, went undrafted in 2025. The 6-5 wing averages 7.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.0 steals while shooting 40.0\/37.5\/1.000.<\/p>\n

Chris Youngblood:\u00a0 Youngblood, an elite shooter, played well during the summer league. He averages 13.0 points, 3.5 three-pointers, and 1.5 steals with a shooting split of 42.9\/43.8\/25.0.<\/p>\n

Jazian Gortman: Gortman is a high-upside slashing guard who saw 57 minutes of action in 16 appearances for Dallas last season. The 6-2 guard averages 13.5 points, 3.0 assists, and 2.0 rebounds with shooting splits 50.\/20.0\/1.000.<\/p>\n

Who Is The Favorite To Win The Last 2-Way Spot?<\/h3>\n

The player who wins the last minor league spot will likely not see much time with the Thunder. Therefore, the fit of the player will likely be better for the Blue than for the Thunder. The Thunder prioritize spacing and defensive versatility. Leon, who played for the Blue last season, would seem to be the favorite for the spot. But the Blue already owns his rights, so the Thunder may decide to go a different direction.<\/p>\n

Youngblood and Gortman also appear to be serious contenders for the job. Youngblood has been better during the first two preseason contests. Therefore, the decision could ultimately come down to him and Leons. However, there are still about 10 days left in camp.<\/p>\n

\u00a9 Arthur Ellis, Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Oklahoma City Thunder will be severely shorthanded when the regular season begins. Nikola Topic became the third player expected to miss the start of the regular season, according to Luke Adams of Hooprumors. “The team has announced that Topic underwent a testicular procedure on Monday and will be reevaluated in four-to-six weeks,” Adams said. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3146,"featured_media":161851,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,2,62,3,22],"tags":[4292,993,4609,49139,1489],"class_list":["post-161756","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-featured","category-nba","category-news","category-thunder","tag-chet-holmgren","tag-isaiah-hartenstein","tag-jalen-williams","tag-nikola-topic","tag-shai-gilgeous-alexander"],"modified_by":"Daniel Benjamin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/161756","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3146"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=161756"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/161756\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":161857,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/161756\/revisions\/161857"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/161851"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=161756"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=161756"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=161756"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}