As the OKC Thunder gear up for their first preseason game Tuesday night, rookie Bennett Stirtz is eyeing his preseason debut. Most of the regular rotation has already been ruled out of the contest, leaving Stirtz, Ajay Mitchell, and Jared McCain as the remaining focal points.
The absences mean the Thunder will get immediate feedback on whether their ambitious lineup gamble will pay off.
Because of limited financial flexibility, OKC had to say goodbye to Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, and Isaiah Joe this summer. Assuming Cason Wallace will slide into Dort's spot as the fifth member of the starting lineup, coach Mark Daigneault was left with a bit of a hole in the second unit, which is exactly why they traded up for the rights to Bennett Stirtz in June's draft.
Thunder will get early glimpse at whether Bennett Stirtz is the solution
McCain and Mitchell will obviously get the first looks at the guard position for the second unit, but there is enough room for Stirtz to carve out a consistent role.
Clearly, there's a need. Excluding Dort and his floor time as a starter, the Thunder are still losing nearly 3,000 minutes between Wiggins and Joe.
While neither of them factored heavily in the postseason rotation, Stirtz might be expected to play a more prominent playoff role than they did. Outside of McCain and Mitchell, the only realistic backcourt option at this point is Alex Caruso, and he will likely be on his usual veteran minutes cap, with much of that time coming at the forward position.
All that said, Stirtz will be expected to fill big shoes this season. On Tuesday, the Thunder will get a glimpse of whether he can do it or not.
Thunder will closely monitor how Stirtz plays with future running mates
Granted, it's only preseason, and he will certainly not be playing against the league's best, but Daigneault and company will get the opportunity to see how he looks alongside two core members of the bench unit, and that alone is meaningful.
If he looks good, it will go a long way in earning his head coach's trust. He may not even need to light up the scoreboard.
Daigneault has already referred to him as a "low-mistake player," and he could very well serve as a secondary facilitator alongside Mitchell, with the primary goal of simply not making game-ruining plays.
If he shows his first-year inexperience, though, he could cause the coaching staff to doubt his readiness.
Getting drafted onto such a playoff-ready team is not for the weak. Players are expected to come in, learn the system, and not get in the way.
For Stirtz to have a successful preseason debut, perhaps all he needs to do is avoid tripping over his own feet.
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