5 Key Thunder storylines heading into preseason opener vs Spurs

Monday, the OKC Thunder return to the hardwood for in-game action. Kicking off their preseason festivities, Oklahoma City hits the road to face the up-and-coming Spurs down in San Antonio.

Though perhaps not as exhilerating as a regular season affair, for starters generally don't see all that many minutes, efforts are dialed back to roughly 70 percent as players look to avoid the risk of injury, and the ultimate outcome has zero effect on a club's end-of-season standing, there's still plenty of reasons for fans to be excited to tune in.

As the franchise's faithful followers prepare for tonight's tip-off, there a several key storylines that should be fresh on their minds heading into the festivities.

Key Thunder storylines ahead of preseason opener against Spurs

Lack of star power slated to be present during the exhibition

Both the Thunder and Spurs roster some of the most noteworthy and celebrated stars that the association currently has to offer.

Unfortunately, Monday's preseason opener will see several of them suited up in street clothes, with San Antonio holding out both Victor Wembanyama and Chris Paul and Oklahoma City sidelining centerpiece Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, all for "rest" reasons.

Fortunately, Loud City will still be represented by budding studs Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, so at least viewers will be able to see a few of the franchise's top-billed talents, if only for a quarter or two.

Who will replace Josh Giddey as a focal point facilitator on Thunder?

This summer, the Thunder executed a clear win-now trade that landed them elite 3-and-D wing, Alex Caruso from the Chicago Bulls. Though highly regarded, the transaction saw the team part ways with recent lottery-selected talent, Josh Giddey in the process, who, since his arrival back in 2021, has served as arguably OKC's best facilitator and clear backup at point guard.

Now, with the 21-year-old residing in the Windy City, coach Mark Daigneault finds himself in need of a new set-up artist to help create clean and efficient looks for players residing off-ball, especially when defenses focus their attention on trying to take Gilgeous-Alexander out of the game.

Based on how the depth chart is currently constructed, Cason Wallace is seen as the most likely candidate to fill Giddey's shoes, though, based on his rookie season tape, he has predominantly been utilized off-ball on the offensive end rather than in any semblance of a floor general role.

Can he contribute in this aspect of the game? Maybe versatile rookie, Dillon Jones will be used as a point-forward hybrid?

Hopefully fans will get a clearer picture of how the Thunder will approach this glaring rotational weakness during Monday's outing against the Spurs.

Where does Dillon Jones fit within the rotation?

Speaking of Jones, during the 24 hours leading into their preseason opener the recent first-round selection turned heads with his comments regarding his usage in recent training camp sessions.

Telling reporters he's been used anywhere from an on-ball guard to a focal point pivot, it appears the Thunder coaching staff has been experimenting with the extreme versatility of their talented 22-year-old.

Frankly, this should come as little surprise for anyone who paid attention to him throughout his tenure at Weber State, as he showcased an impressive combination of rebounding, distribution, defensive, and interior scoring skills despite measuring in with a general wing build of 6-foot-6, 235 pounds.

His final season at the collegiate level, Jones went on to post sensational all-around averages of 20.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 2.0 steals on 48.9 percent shooting from the field and registering in with a defensive box plus-minus of +2.3.

If his long-range shooting game was a bit more dependable (shot a mere 32.0 percent from distance during his time at Weber) there would be no question that he could make for an electrifying, multi-faceted contributor out on the wing.

However, without such a skill-set through this point in time, it will be interesting to see where and how coach Daigneault uses Jones within the rotation.

Based on his remarks, however, one thing seems for sure -- the Thunder want to get him on the court in any way they can.

How Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein fit alongside one another in the frontcourt

This summer, the Thunder shelled out serious coin to address their need for extra size and strength up in the frontcourt by signing center, Isaiah Hartenstein on day two of free agency.

Though on the surface, his addition bolsters both aforementioned areas and brings the club some much-needed rebounding expertise (pulled down 8.3 per game last season), some are a bit concerned over how his fit alongside last year's primary five, Chet Holmgren will look within the lineup.

By all accounts, Oklahoma City seems determined to slot both of them into the starting five, with Hartenstein manning the pivot and the reigning Rookie of the Year runner-up sliding up to the four.

Fortunately, due to his athleticism and floor-spacing abilities, Holmgren doesn't seem to have any obvious overlapping intangibles that run the risk of clashing with I-Hart, but, until we see how they can operate in such a towering rotational construction, question marks will remain.

Will Ousmane Dieng be the clear beneficiary of Jaylin Williams' injury?

Earlier this week, it was reported that Jaylin Williams sustained a hamstring injury that is slated to keep him out for the entirety of the preseason and could even bleed into the infancy stages of the regular season.

A regular rotational staple within the Thunder rotation, the club finds itself heading into the new campaign with a hole at the primary backup big position that's in clear need of filling.

Might Ousmane Dieng finally get the time to make a case for himself as a full-time resident on the roster?

The 11 overall selection from the 2022 NBA Draft, since his arrival the tweener big has spent the majority of his time in the G League with the OKC Blue, though has regularly showed out on the development stage, especially last season where he dropped 16.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.0 blocks a night while guiding the team to a G League Championship.

With his 6-foot-10 build and 7-foot wingspan, the French-born baller has the size necessary to serve as a modern-day NBA frontcourt participant, while his two-way style of play sports a ton of promise.

Let's see if year three is the time when Dieng can finally piece his skills together on a consistent basis.