The NBA season is officially here this week, as teams around the league begin the 2024-25 campaign in just a few days. For the Oklahoma City Thunder specifically, opening night will be a tremendous challenge as the Nuggets await them in Denver on Thursday.
Despite facing a significant injury in the preseason, with Isaiah Hartenstein suffering a hand injury that will keep him out for at least another month, Oklahoma City is set up for success in the upcoming season. With a championship being a real expectation externally for this team, getting off to a hot start will be especially key.
Let’s answer the three best questions that were submitted for this week’s mailbag:
Aaron Wiggins feels like a safe bet here. His ability to contribute in nearly any aspect of the game allows him to be one of the more impactful reserves in the league. Whether it’s taking on a big defensive assignment, knocking down several triples or being a play finisher on cuts, Wiggins should be able to leave his mark on opening night — even if he isn’t a prominent figure on Denver’s scouting report.
In going 2-1 here. Oklahoma City has a more complete roster than Denver and I believe the Thunder will finish with a better record than the Nuggets, but it could be a loss to start the season for OKC. From there, a pair of wins over the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks seems likely.
There’s no question Jones will get minutes in these opening few games. With Isaiah Hartenstein, Jaylin Williams and Kenrich Williams all out due to injury, there’s a need for big bodies and rebounding. Jones will likely have his fair share of rookie struggles, but he will absolutely make an impact through the Thunder’s first three contests of the season.
Note: Questions may be paraphrased in order to group or aggregate similar submissions.
Want to join the discussion? Like Thunder on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.
Syracuse, N.Y. -- Syracuse forward Donnie Freeman was projected by some high-profile NBA draft observers as a potential NBA lottery pick when the college basket
Michigan basketball is entering a new era with its program. This past offseason, the Wolverines got rid of Juwan Howard, who was their head coach for five seaso
The results of the second round of fan voting for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game are in, and surprisingly one former Gonzaga men's basketball standout was left off
The Lakers’ home game against the Hornets on Thursday has been postponed due to the raging LA fires, the NBA announced. A new date for the game