Word on the street is OKC Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is looking to become more of an off-ball enforcer heading into the 2026-27 season.
While this news could be enough to send the rest of the league into all-out panic mode, as it suggests arguably the game's best player is looking to get even better, for Nikola Topic, it's exactly what he should be hoping to hear ahead of his sophomore go-around with the club.
As if being held out his entire first year with a torn ACL, and then for a large chunk of his second as a result of testicular cancer, didn't make cracking the regular rotation tough enough, the fact that Topic boasts the game of a traditional on-ball floor general on a team already equipped with an on-ball dominator in SGA running the show has made his path toward consistent minutes rather challenging.
However, the news that Shai is looking to improve his play without the rock in his hands could certainly stand to benefit the 20-year-old moving forward.
Set-up skills of Nikola Topic could benefit Thunder star when off-ball
Regardless of whether he's leading the charge on-ball or roaming the floor off of it, Gilgeous-Alexander is the top scoring weapon on this Thunder team, which means getting him clean looks at the basket is always a top priority for coach Mark Daigneault.
Lucky for them, they have a promising young guard with elite dime-dropping abilities who could help them accomplish exactly that.
Leading up to the 2024 NBA Draft, Topic had established himself as a sure-fire lottery pick and a legitimate option for a top-five selection (prior to his knee injury, that is) thanks to his quick decision-making and natural playmaking skills.
During his final year with Crvena Zvezda, he averaged 5.5 assists per game at just 18 years old.
While his production in the States has admittedly been limited due to his previously mentioned health-related ailments, since arriving in Oklahoma City, he's only continued to flash his high-end facilitation abilities.
Be it in the form of his team-best 7.8 assists per game while suiting up for the G League affiliate OKC Blue last year, or his average of 12.5 dimes dropped when thrust into a starting role for the Thunder during their final two games of the 2025-26 regular season, the potential for Topic to serve as a trusty set-up artist for the club's de facto scoring centerpiece in SGA is certainly there.
If Shai really wants to get the most out of his off-ball play, perhaps regularly pairing him with the best passer on the Thunder in Topic would be their best way toward doing exactly that.
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