OKC Thunder Bench Provides Boost in Dominant Season Opener

The Thunder's second unit shined against one of the league's premier teams.

Oct 24, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Dario Saric (9) defends on Oklahoma City Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins (21) in the second quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City made a statement in the season opener, and its second unit played a big role.

On Thursday, the Thunder beat the Denver Nuggets 102-87 to earn their first win of the 2024-25 campaign. With both teams expected to compete for a championship this season, the Thunder delivered a message with their performance.

While Chet Holmgren’s two-way dominance and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s usual star power stole the show, the Thunder’s bench showed its strengths in Denver. Before the game, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said that the starting lineup and rotations would be fluid throughout the season. 

With Isaiah Joe earning the fifth spot in the Thunder’s starting five, Aaron Wiggins carried the scoring load off the bench. Wiggins finished the first game of his fourth season with 15 points, six rebounds and two blocks while shooting 7-of-9.

"Just a great developmental tangible example of development over time,” Daigneault said of Wiggins. “He's just steadily put the work in. Learned from his experiences, learned the system, and this is who he is. He's a really good player."

With some tough buckets and impressive finishes in traffic, Wiggins’ five-year, $47 million extension is already looking like a bargain. Of course, his defense and hustle were on display as he helped the Thunder wreak havoc on their way to forcing 15 Nuggets turnovers.

Offseason addition Alex Caruso was also everywhere for the Thunder’s defense. While his impact might not show up on the stat sheet, going scoreless with six rebounds and four assists, he was a game-high +19 in his 19 minutes.

Caruso was a major part of the Thunder’s effort to hold Denver’s bench to 16 points on 28 shots. Cason Wallace also pitched in a steal and added a couple of baskets, finishing the night +18 in 23 minutes.

Along with the expected contributors, a couple of the Thunder’s youngest players might have earned some more minutes on Thursday. Ousmane Dieng knocked down a couple of 3-pointers and held his own in spot minutes as a small-ball five.

Ajay Mitchell also got thrown into the fire in the first half. While he didn’t score, his decisiveness with the ball and ability to be in the right spot defensively could get him some extra opportunities over the weekend.

With opening night out of the way, the Thunder will head to Chicago on Saturday before returning home to face the Atlanta Hawks on the second night of a back-to-back. If the Thunder’s second unit can continue to find this type of success on a consistent basis, this could be a special season in Oklahoma City.

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