The OKC Thunder have officially wrapped up their five-game preseason stint. They hardly made a dent in the win column (1-4 in the warm-up matches), but fans know Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company care little about results until the NBA's brightest lights come on.
With Opening Tip-Off just days away, fans can take solace in having learned a fair amount about this team from the minimal time they spent on the court together throughout the preseason.
Here are five things that became abundantly clear during the OKC Thunder friendlies.
1. Aday Mara is more than just a "Wemby stopper"
When Aday Mara was drafted, many automatically labeled him as the Thunder's answer to stop the Spurs' Victor Wembanyama. Mara still has a chance to live up to that name, but he used the preseason to show he has a higher purpose than guarding one man.
Mara quickly established himself as a potential cheat code and the perfect draft choice at pick number 12. On offense, he was the recipient of countless lobs. Other players in the Thunder starting lineup often demand so much attention that Mara found himself open for easy buckets night in and night out.
The Spaniard missed all of six shots in five games, averaging 13.4 points in just 23.2 minutes. He demonstrated high basketball IQ and excellent floor vision for a big.
For how impressive he was on offense, Mara's defense was even better. At 7'3", he clearly presented a matchup problem for opposing teams, and he led the league in blocks per game during the preseason. In short, Mara could easily outproduce his 12th overall draft capital this year, and no one would be surprised.
2. If Shai Gilgeous-Alexander averages less than 30.0 PPG, it's a good thing
Over the last few years, fans have gotten used to the same old SGA stat line. He is a walking 30-piece, and he achieves the number on a nightly basis with the utmost precision and efficiency.
This season, though, fans should be hoping for a change of pace. OKC enters the season with more ball handlers, more interior scoring threats, and more spot-up shooters than ever before. Their defense might take a hit after losing Lu Dort, but this might be the best offense the Thunder have had since they began their Western Conference reign.
Because of this, it's likely that the Thunder will want to give Shai Gilgeous-Alexander a break from shouldering such a heavy offensive burden. If other players can handle the added responsibility, it will only make the offense more versatile.
All too often, OKC has had to over-rely on Shai to get buckets, and it's resulted in a monotonous playstyle at times. If the MVP has to do more of the same this year, it will be because something went terribly wrong. Either players couldn't stay healthy, or certain X-factors didn't live up to expectations.
3. Bennett Stirtz may be the ultimate X-factor
Speaking of X-factors, Bennett Stirtz might represent the key to the Thunder unlocking an entirely new level of dominance. The rookie showed flashes of brilliance in the preseason, shooting a blistering 48.4 percent from three-point land.
Stirtz spent most of his tenure at Iowa running the point, but he will likely serve more of an off-ball role in Bricktown. In the five games, he proved he can do both if needed. With such a skeleton key waiting in the wings, he provides the Thunder with countless lineup options. If he carries his success over to the regular season, he will be another cheap core rotational piece that the Thunder can rely on for years to come, which would provide GM Sam Presti with some much-needed financial flexibility in the future.
4. Jalen Williams' return to efficiency isn't a foregone conclusion
When Jalen Williams' three-point shooting dipped under 30.0 percent last season, many attributed it to his recovery from wrist surgery in the prior offseason.
However, Dub made just three deep balls on 11 attempts in the preseason, and it may highlight a sobering fact. In 2023-24, he shot 42.7 percent from downtown. His efficiency has declined steadily ever since.
It begs the question: who is the real Jalen Williams?
There are no questions about his effort level, IQ, and defensive prowess when healthy. But his offensive ability has always been what sets him apart from other prominent two-way players in the league.
His scoring is no doubt a vital part of this team, and his efficiency will be something to monitor as the season kicks off.
5. The offense has something they haven't had before
As briefly touched on before, the offense has always run through Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, sometimes to a fault. The one-dimensionality was on full display last year in the playoffs, especially during the Western Conference Finals. It seemed like the Thunder had no plan B if SGA wasn't having his best day. Other players relied on his ability to score tough buckets in isolation. When he wasn't able to do so, his supporting cast wasn't able to help him out.
Now, the Thunder may have something they didn't have last year: unpredictability. With so many scorers, it could be difficult to predict where the points will come from - in a good way. Jalen Williams, Ajay Mitchell, Jared McCain, and Chet Holmgren all have the capability of dropping 20-plus points on any given night. Even less prominent scorers like Cason Wallace, Aday Mara, and Bennett Stirtz have proven to be capable scorers when called upon.
As a result, opposing defenses will not be able to rely on directing all their attention onto Gilgeous-Alexander, as too many Thunder weapons lay waiting to punish double teams and over-aggressive schemes. It's a great problem to have, and it's one that Thunder fans truly haven't seen since their beloved franchise rose to power.
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