3 Takeaways From the OKC Thunder’s Shorthanded Win vs. NBL Squad

The Thunder took care of business against an opponent from another league.

Oct 9, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault watches his team play against the Houston Rockets during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City missed most of its usual guys but still got the win.

On Thursday, the Thunder beat the New Zealand Breakers 117-89 to move to 2-1 in preseason. The Thunder looked sluggish and trailed for much of the first half before entering halftime tied.

The Thunder’s unusual look was due to its shorthanded roster. With four players injured and another nine resting, Oklahoma City had only two standard contracts and two two-way players on the floor.

With greater opportunities for some of the Thunder’s non-rotational players, Thursday’s game was a potential audition for later in the season. Ousmane Dieng, Dillon Jones and Adam Flagler were all bright spots in the win and helped the team overcome adversity for a blowout win.

Let’s dive into three lessons that can be learned from yesterday’s game.

Oct 9, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Dillon Jones (3) runs down the court between plays against the Houston Rockets during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The Thunder can survive if key role players get injured

Oklahoma City’s title chances will hinge on its health in the postseason. As the Thunder make their way through 82 regular season games, injuries are destined to occur. 

The Thunder’s deep bench puts the team in a good position moving forward. Young players such as Dieng and Jones will struggle to find minutes when the team is at full strength. 

With Jaylin Williams and Kenrich Williams’ statuses for opening night uncertain, those players could get an opportunity early. Slotting young guys in alongside stars should work out well for the Thunder. While the results will matter, Oklahoma City’s deep bench is set up to succeed without much pressure. 

Mark Daigneault should be in the Coach of the Year race 

Last season, Daigneault helped vault the Thunder into the top tier of the league and won Coach of the Year. While Oklahoma City will not make a drastic leap like it did in 2023-24, Daigneault’s coaching will significantly impact the team’s record. 

Against the Breakers, the Thunder were without most of their rotation, leaving mostly players who will be in the G League this season. Matching up against an international squad posed problems early, with the teams entering halftime tied. 

Daigneault, who has years of experience coaching in the G League with the OKC Blue, had no issues adapting to his lineup and making adjustments. After allowing the Breakers to shoot 50% from the field and outside in the first half, they shot 11-of-41 after halftime, including a 25% mark from beyond the arc.

Preseason back-to-backs are unhelpful

Playing games on back-to-back nights throughout the regular season is lamented by players for the wear and tear it can put on them. Having to play one in the preseason is simply not worth the grind for established players.

After playing the first half of Oklahoma City’s game against the Houston Rockets, most of the rotation sat out for the second half. While the Thunder regulars looked good, their preseason load is likely to gradually tick down.

However, a back-to-back can turn that into a drastic shift, as no team wants to risk an injury to a key player because of the stress of the schedule. That decision to shut guys down becomes much easier against an NBL team with no legitimate incentive to play.

Although the Thunder got a good look at their non-rotational players, they missed an opportunity to gain more chemistry ahead of the regular season.

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The Thunder have looked good throughout the preseason and continued that stretch on Thursday despite a rocky start. The Thunder will head to Denver for their next preseason game on Tuesday in an opening night preview.

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