The Oklahoma City Thunder made their 2025-26 NBA preseason debut on Sunday, Oct. 5 in a 135-114 win over the Charlotte Hornets that featured Nikola Topic in a playmaking role. Even amidst calls for patience and perspective, Topic turned a preseason game into a showcase.
Time will reveal how ready Topic is to thrive against NBA rotations, but his preseason debut was a captivating sign of how dynamic a player he could be.
Topic finished the win over the Hornets with 10 points, seven assists, four rebounds, and a steal in 31 minutes of action. He struggled with his jump shot, but created consistent penetration and displayed the court vision that made him a lottery pick in 2024.
Primed and ready to thrive in a drive-and-kick environment, Topic has instantly established himself as a player worth monitoring.
An assist you can't miss + another Thunder three 👀@OGandE Power Play of the Game pic.twitter.com/ToNcz9ADAz
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) October 5, 2025
It's yet another intriguing development from a player who turned heads at Summer League, as well. Neither competition is up to the true standard of the NBA, of course, particularly when a player is looking for minutes on a reigning champion.
What Topic is already showing, however, is that he has the very skill set that the Thunder need to put the finishing touches on a potential dynasty.
Nikola Topic already looks like the playmaker the Thunder need
It's easy to write Topic's performance off due to any number of factors, including it taking place in the preseason. What he showed during his 31 minutes, however, is that he has the uncanny raw ability to ensure that the ball ends up in the right place when he's running the offense.
More importantly, Topic proved that he can excel in any number of sets, with the playmaking ability the Thunder have needed to replace since losing Josh Giddey.
Topic's assists against the Hornets displayed how advanced his processing speed is as a passer. His first dime was a result of a high screen set far beyond the three-point line, which enabled him to get a running start and hit a slashing Branden Carlsen while both the playmaker and dive man were in motion.
The second assist was in transition, with Topic utilizing his previous coast-to-coast basket to lure the defense into picking him up and thus creating an open shot for Chris Youngblood.
In a sense, it was the epitome of what makes Topic such a coveted prospect. He didn't blow everyone away with his explosiveness or shot-making, but instead played the game in a methodical and logical manner, reading and reacting while operating with a destination in mind.
For instance: Topic's next scoring involvement was again via a pick and roll, only this time he punished Charlotte for going under the screen by knocking down a midrange jump shot.
Thunder rookie Nikola Topic is a thinking fan's playmaker
The next time out, a flare screen enabled Topic to attack without hesitation, thus forcing the baseline defender to come out and pick him up. He acted instinctively, quickly sending a pass to an open Jaylin Williams for a floater from below the low block.
Roughly two minutes later, he did perhaps the most important thing a playmaker can do: Rewarded Williams' hot hand with a wide-open step-in three—facilitated by Aaron Wiggins' off-ball screen.
That trend continued, as Topic sent an advanced pass to Williams in the corner for another three—one of the five he made against the Hornets. When Charlotte finally trapped him off of a high screen, he calmly dribbled into space and hit a floater the defenders weren't anticipating he'd attempt.
As though it was written by a novelist prone to the most obvious of twists: Charlotte then forced Topic left with a double team off of a high screen, and Topic sent the ball back for a pick-and-pop three.
It was a genuinely brilliant performance from Topic, who found what worked, was presented with a counter for it, and responded by accepting one of the options he'd created for himself. He didn't force the issue, nor did he simply accept defeat. He learned from past experiences and punished the Hornets for thinking they'd figured him out.
The preseason can only tell us so much about a player, but watching Topic turn one successful play into the foundation for another was tantamount to the epitomization of what great point guards do.