On Tuesday, the OKC Thunder played their first preseason game of the 2026-27 NBA season against the New Orleans Pelicans. Most of the team didn't suit up, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Ajay Mitchell, Jared McCain, and Bennett Stirtz led the starting lineup.
Of course, SGA didn't have to play to be one of the game's biggest beneficiaries.
Everything about Oklahoma City's performance boded well for their superstar cornerstone, and he may find himself in an even better position than last year to lead the Thunder to another championship.
OKC shot a blistering 48.5 percent from beyond the arc. That included Stirtz making three of his six attempts, McCain making four of his eight, and wing Kenrich Williams making three of his four.
Even Mitchell went one of two from deep.
SGA saw the skill he desparately needs from Thunder teammates
As a player who relies heavily on driving into the painted area, Gilgeous-Alexander greatly benefits from having excellent spot-up shooters around him.
Shai's prowess is no secret. The cat is out of the bag. As a result, he sees one of the highest double-team rates in the league.
Because of this, the best way to complement this style of play is to have lethal perimeter shooters ready to punish teams for overcommitting to those double teams.
Given that he just lost Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, and Isaiah Joe, three of OKC's better off-ball shooters over the years, for a while, it was a question of whether the MVP would have enough help around him, especially during his minutes on the floor with the second unit.
The superstar usually plays all of the first and third quarters, meaning bench players spend almost half of those minutes on the floor. After the Thunder shed extraneous depth this offseason, there was some concern about who might pick up the shooting slack alongside McCain.
While it may only be one preseason game, this supporting cast seems more than capable of picking up any slack in this department.
Thunder showed clear ability to alleviate pressure off SGA
Kenrich Williams and Bennett Stirtz answered the call in a big way on Tuesday night.
While it may have just been a single preseason game, it's always comforting to see offseason gambles pay off.
The two aforementioned shooters did just that.
Since they are expected to take over the minutes vacated by Dort, Wiggins, and Joe, it's imperative that they continue this hot start.
If both Stirtz and K-Rich can establish themselves as dominant spot-up shooters, SGA will have a much easier time scoring himself, as teams will be forced to respect OKC's outside game.
If teams continue to overcommit, he can simply look to dish the ball to the nearest shooter and rack up assists at an alarming rate.
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