OKC Thunder open preseason versus Hornets – preview

On Sunday, the two teams many are picking to be the last two standing at the end of the season (Lakers, Nets) tipped off the NBA preseason.  This evening the OKC Thunder are one of 18 teams who’ll begin their preseason play.  Their opponent is the Charlotte Hornets and it will mark the first competitive match held in the newly named Paycom Center.

This contest follows five intense days of training camp (OKC took Saturday off) and will represent the first of four matches the Thunder will play. This week the Thunder will play two preseason matches and the next won’t occur until Sunday in Milwaukee versus the reigning NBA champion Bucks.

OKC Thunder launch preseason versus Charlotte Hornets – preview

With 20 players in camp, don’t expect to witness typical minute allocation from either head coach. That said, being the first preseason game both coaches will likely tip-off with the projected starters they’ll utilize on opening night. However, those cores will likely only play n the first half or limited minutes.

Others may be held out due to various injuries as Rylan Stiles noted in his training camp notes from the five sessions. To catch up on events and quotes from each day check out the following links: (Day one – Tuesday, Day Two – Wednesday, Day Three – Thursday, Day Four – Friday, Day Five – Sunday.

These preseason games are more of a litmus test. How new concepts are being absorbed and with so many young (and new players) on the Thunder where they are in the learning curve. Moreover, it provides Mark Daigneault with an opportunity to test lineups with a view to chemistry and also get a better idea of some players who could end up playing for the OKC Blue.

Hornets’ Preseason Depth Chart:  Projected Preseason Depth Chart

Head coach Jame Borrego begins the 2021-22 season with a strong core returning. There aren’t a ton of roster decisions for him to make with 16 players already guaranteed on the varsity squad plus their two-way contracted players locked down. That means two players will be fighting for the one open varsity spot.

The following list breaks down the roster by position with (Ex 10) highlighting the Exhibit 10 contracted players, (R) signifying rookies, and (N) denoting new players this year in Charlotte.   The first player listed is the presumed starter at each position.

Point Guard: LaMelo Ball, Ish Smith (N), D.J. Carton (Ex 10)

Shooting Guard: Terry Rozier, James Bouknight (R), Wesley Iwundu (N), Scottie Lewis  (2-way/R)

Small Forward: Gordon Hayward, Kelly Oubre (N), Cody Martin, Arnoldas Kulboka  (2-way/R), Xavier Sneed (Ex 10/R)

Power Forward: Miles Bridges, P.J. Washington, Jalen McDaniels, Vernon Carey Jr., JT Thor (R)

Center: Mason Plumlee (N), Kai Jones (R), Nick Richards

OKC Thunder projected preseason depth chart:

Unlike the Hornets, Daigneault has many more decisions to make regarding OKC Thunder lineups with only 13 guaranteed contracts. The coach has to fill roster spots, and where players will check in. In truth because the Thunder play a positionless scheme many of the players will appear under one spot but could easily slot into various positions.

For example, although Gilgeous-Alexander and Giddey are both point guards the big question will be whether Daigneault elects to start both alongside Dort who is also a guard but they have the length (and in Dort’s case the prowess) to guard several positions. ESPN lists Giddey as a small forward but perhaps that’s to accommodate him starting with SGA.

Krejci (6’8″) and POKU (7′) have the skill set of a guard but will likely line up against players at different positions.

Point Guard: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey (R), Theo Maledon, Ty Jerome, Vit Krejci

Shooting Guard: Luguentz Dort, Tre Mann (R), Paul Watson (2-way/N), Rob Edwards (Ex. 10)

Small Forward: (see note on starters) Gabriel Deck, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (R)

Power Forward: Darius Bazley. Aleksej Pokusevski, Kenrich Williams, DJ Wilson (Ex 10/N), Aaron Wiggins (2-way/R),

Center: Derrick Favors (N), Mike Muscala, Isaiah Roby, Mamadi Diakite (N)

Keys to the match:

Despite the fact, neither team will be expected to showcase their typical rotations there should be some fun matchups to catch.

In particular, many will be anxious to witness LaMelo Ball. The main question will be how he improved in the offseason. Equally intriguing will be if OKC Thunder rookie Giddey will garner time matching up opposite the reigning Rookie of the Year.

For Thunder Nation obviously getting to watch the rookies and new players will be exciting and getting to witness what growth each returning youngster has made this offseason. Certainly, having SGA back healthy is a top priority but Dort piqued our interest with all his offseason activities to improve his conditioning and overall game.

But, if there is one player the fans are keen to see as far as offseason changes its Pokusevski. Daigneault has spoken of POKU’s improved stamina and strength which has everyone amped to witness it first hand.

Many mock drafts predicted Bouknight would land in OKC so let’s see how he handles NBA  defense in his first preseason game. Personally, I’m eager to witness how the addition of Oubre and Plumlee will impact the Hornets’ defense.

Game Specifics:

Tip-off: the game starts at 7:00 p.m. Central Time (8:00 p.m. EST)

Where to watch the game: The official site (OKCThunder.com) will carry the game and you can catch the match on the Thunder App. , or listen on in OKC

Radio: as per usual tune into WWLS 98.1 FM to listen to the game.