Nikola Topic made his return to basketball earlier this week after three months away from the game being treated for testicular cancer. That, in and of itself, is something worth getting excited about.
This, moreover, comes after Topic missed his entire rookie year with a torn ACL. By all means, he's had one of the toughest journeys imaginable to get to this spot.
Yet through Topic's two games with the Oklahoma City Blue in the G League, he showed that he's hardly lost a step. His first game was an impressive performance. But his second game, which the Blue handily won against the Sioux Falls Skyforce, was eminently exciting.
In just 19 minutes on the court, Topic posted 22 points, two rebounds, and four assists, knocking down 7 of his 12 shots from the field and 4 of his 7 shots from 3-point range.
Of course, Topic still has a long way to go before he's ready for NBA action. But his immaculate return begs the question. When could we see him back with the Thunder?
It could come before the end of the season.
Nikola Topic could see some run near the end of the season for the Thunder
Coming out of the draft, Topic projected to be a dynamic, ball-dominant guard with defensive upside as a result of his lengthy frame.
The Thunder have enough depth that they have not been in dire need of his services to this point. But, when Topic is ultimately able to return, he could be a major boon to Oklahoma City's backcourt, especially as pieces of the core cycle out of the organization.
Even for a player who, unfortunately, has yet to play a single minute in the NBA, there's plenty of reason to be excited.
If Oklahoma City is able to lock up the one-seed over the San Antonio Spurs and the Denver Nuggets with time to spare before the end of the season, it will grant the team a period of rest. This, of course, is not a guarantee. The Spurs currently sit just 3.5 games behind the Thunder.
But when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell come back after the All-Star Break, Oklahoma City should be ready to return to its dominant ways.
The other sticking point here is Jared McCain. McCain has averaged 16.7 minutes across his three games with the organization. If the Thunder want to count on him as an extra ball-handler in the postseason, they will need to continue to give him extensive run over the coming months. They must give him time to truly acclimate to the offense and his role in the team's structure.
Topic will stay in the G League until these two goals are accomplished. But it's not hard to imagine a world where he gets significant minutes in the last few games of the regular season. It would be a just reward for how hard he's worked to get back to this point.
Of course, the Thunder should not rush his return. If he's ready, however, it would not be a great surprise to see him in the NBA before the end of this season.