Sunday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder won their home opener in an impressive victory over the Atlanta Hawks, coming in clutch late in the game to win 128-104.
After a shaky start to the contest, it seemed as though fatigue from the third game in four nights was catching up, as the squad found themselves down 58-57 following the first half of action. Everything seemed to be going the wrong way for OKC, especially in the calls department as even head coach Mark Daigneault would pick up a technical foul arguing a foul on Cason Wallace.
This flipped a switch with the team, as out of the half almost everyone looked rejuvenated, with superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finishing just an assist shy of his first triple-double of the year. That said, despite their sensational final two-quarters of play, there were still a few performers who fell short of desired expectations.
Studs and duds from dominant Thunder victory in home opener
Stud: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
To receive MVP chants in the third quarter, and have the social media world go crazy over your performance, you have to be doing something right.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished the game with an absurd 35 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks, all while shooting 45.8 percent shooting from the field.
It is obvious that the offense runs through SGA, whether he is playing well while leading the team in scoring, or realizing the defense is focusing on him, so he shares the love and tallies up assists.
After adding an impressive pull-up 3-point shot to his arsenal, it now seems there is no way to guard the 26-year-old this season. This one shot leaves no holes in his offensive game.
The Canadian-born baller also is a top-tier defensive player, averaging three steals and two blocks per game through the first three games of the season.
If the 2024 MVP runner-up continues on this path, you could finally see him end up on an all-defensive team.
Dud: Isaiah Joe
After a solid performance against the Chicago Bulls Saturday night, Isaiah Joe looked dazed out on the court on the second night of this back-to-back.
The sharpshooter would end up going 2-for-7 for the night, while looking lost on the defensive side of the ball.
Granted, Joe would go 40 percent from behind the arc, however, the majority of his misses were wide-open. A guy with that kind of shooting should be knocking down those shots.
Then defensively he looked stationary, barely moving around and getting blown by on the perimeter.
It is just disappointing to see a player known for his shooting ability and perimeter defending do nothing for the majority of the game, especially after a solid performance the night before.
It has been an overall streaky start for him, and after a much-needed rest, we could see the player that Thunder fans have been longing for.
Stud: Luguentz Dort
It is safe to say the Atlanta Hawks were feeling the full force of “The Dorture Chamber” Sunday evening.
Lu Dort would end up being the X-factor for the club tonight, finishing with 16 points while knocking down four long-range shots.
This was one of the best offensive performances by the defensive menace in recent memory. He is usually good for a solid 8.0 points a game, but when he has nights like this fans know there is no way the team loses this game.
The Montreal native was also tasked with the toughest challenge of the night, guarding Hawks point guard Trae Young, and he effectively stopped the All-Star throughout the entire night.
Though the point guard may have still dropped 24 points, but was forced into 10 turnovers due, in large, to Dort's defensive efforts.
Without sweet Lu, the Thunder may not come away with the victory in this game.
Dud: Lack of Ousmane Dieng minutes
To say Ousmane Dieng has been good throughout the preseason and, now, during these infancy stages of 2024-25 might be an understatement, as the third-year player is turning some heads within the organization.
Dieng has looked like a completely different player to start the season, but in a good way as he looks more comfortable out on the court -- the only problem is the lack of minutes he is receiving.
The Frenchman would only play eight minutes in the victory against Atlanta, but he was impactful during every single second he was on the court.
He is finally knocking down 3-pointers at an impressive clip while looking faster and noticeably stronger in the paint. His off-ball movement has been very impressive, showing he is useful on offense even without the ball in his hand.
On the opposite end, his impact does not show up in the stat columns, but watching the games you can see how much he brings. The overall presence down low is forcing some missed shots, however, the most important part is boxing out opponents, which generally leads to easy rebounds.
If Dieng can get some more minutes, fans could expect a major breakout year from the 2022 lottery pick. That said, this will only be possible if he can get those minutes, which he has rightfully earned.
Stud: Chet Holmgren
It is time to start the conversations to have Chet make an All-NBA team.
The second-year center would continue his hot start to 2024-25, tallying 25 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and a season-high 6 blocks!
Holmgren was the most efficient player on the court for the Thunder, shooting 8-for-12 while knocking down three of his five 3-point attempts. He would also end up at the line eight times while converting six of those attempts.
The playmaking ability of the big man has taken a huge leap forward, showing he can put the ball on the floor when necessary. His passing ability is no joke either, as his passes look crispier while setting up shooters perfectly.
Defensively, there is not a better rim protector in the league right now than the 2022 second overall pick.
Tallying up six blocks is an impressive feat on its own, but also averaging one and a half steals per game at his size? That is unheard of and just unfair to opposing teams.
Not to mention he is doing all this without any help in the paint, as Isaiah Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams are still out due to injuries.
Once those two players are back, Chet could get some more backside blocks and steals, which could help push him into All-NBA conversations.