How Nikola Topic's Season-Ending Injury has Rendered him an Unconventional Advantage

The Thunder's new playmaking savant has to wait a season to make his NBA debut, but that isn't necessarily the worst problem for either party to have.

Nikola Topic stands with Thunder general manager Sam Presti during an introductory press conference for the 2024 Thunder draft picks at Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center in Oklahoma City, Saturday, June, 29, 2024. / SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

After the draft in June, Oklahoma City is entering a situation reminiscent of when they drafted Chet Holmgren at No. 2 overall a couple years prior. There's a bit of nuance, but the Thunder's new draft pick in Nikola Topic is facing a very similar dynamic as Holmgren when he missed out on what would have been his rookie season. For Topic, he was selected 12th overall with the Oklahoma City front office knowing he'd be absent for the 2024-25 season, something that the Thunder did not know when drafting Holmgren in June 2022.

Holmgren's absence in that season wasn't ideal, suffering from a Lisfranc injury during a ProAm game against LeBron James the month after he was drafted. It was a slow recovery process, as he had to watch from the bench as a budding Thunder team continued to grow. But he stayed within the mix of the culture and personality of the team entirely, patiently waiting and doing everything in his power to cultivate the best season he could once he returned to full health.

This went such a long way. And, when looking back at the type of rookie season Holmgren fostered in 2023-24, it's not crazy to say his situation benefitted him in the long run. Having a season to prepare mentally, dissecting the norms of NBA life and realizing what he needs to do to be successful surely all played a part in how his rookie season went as great as it did.

This could be the same realization Topic could come to as he sits in the shadows and observes his teammates and the Thunder organization fully -- recovering from a partial ACL tear. And with the quality of basketball Oklahoma City has curated in a matter of two short years, which of course was not built overnight, could be another pathway for Topic to find success in his eventual debut season. Watching how the team operates, how they connect and the style of basketball they play will all be highly beneficial for the Topic's playstyle. And ultimately supplanting Josh Giddey, his role as a connective playmaker in this lineup will be immense by the time his name is called in a Thunder jersey.

Missing what should have been your first NBA season has to be crushing, but it could be much worse, and Holmgren's on-court product in year one last season was indicative of that. Let Topic observe, grow and apply what he will learn, and it will go a long way into when he eventually steps on the floor.

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