Three Takeaways From OKC Thunder's Routing Win Past the Denver Nuggets

In its second-to-last game of the preseason, the Oklahoma City Thunder had little trouble getting past the Denver Nuggets.

Oct 15, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. (1) and forward Aaron Gordon (32) and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) and forward Jalen Williams (8) reach for the ball in the second quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

On Tuesday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder didn't have any problem getting past the Denver Nuggets in a 30-point blowout.

Led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 19 points along with 14 a piece from Jalen Williams and Isaiah Joe, Oklahoma City took a comfortable lead before outscoring Denver 37-to-23 in the fourth quarter. Without their star duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, the Nuggets didn't stand much of a chance.

The preseason is winding down, with only one more game against the Atlanta Hawks left before the Thunder embark on its 2024-25 regular season campaign. All of the pieces seem to be falling into place, and it's only a matter of time before it gets back on the search to the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference for the second year in a row.

Here are three takeaways from the 124-94 win:

The Thunder has already been ready

Let's face it, Oklahoma City could've been completely absent from the preseason and still have been prepared for the start of the regular season.

With a team that made it to the second round in the playoffs last season, which improved during the preceding offseason, the talent is abundant on the Thunder. Players like Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams and Chet Holmgren don't need reps in the preseason, it's more built around the younger talent deeper in the rotation.

Those young players have gotten valuable playing time — such as Dillon Jones and Ajay Mitchell — but as a collective team, Oklahoma City isn't getting much of a benefit playing a Denver team without its two best players. More or less, it's just to fill time until wins and losses truly start to matter.

Of course, it is nice to see an early glimpse on where Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso fit into the Thunder lineup, along with the likelihood of where the rookies end up in the rotation at the start of the season. It hasn't been totally invaluable, but it's obvious Oklahoma City doesn't need last night or Thursday's game to be ready for its season-opener.

Shai's catch-and-shoot looks more fluid

Considering he's had two straight MVP campaigns, it's hard to ask for Gilgeous-Alexander to expand this game more than he already has.

However, one glaring spot the 26-year-old has had room to improve on is 3-point shooting, in which he shot 35% from last season. While not a bad percentage, it certainly doesn't rank highly compared to the majority of other superstar guards across the league.

Last night, there seemed to be clear strides in Gilgeous-Alexander's jumper, specifically on catch-and-shoot opportunities. He finished with a 3-of-6 clip from behind the arc, and once the ball found his hands open on the perimeter, he was quick to shoot.

If Gilgeous-Alexander can increase his 3-point shooting percentage by a significant amount this season, it'll be the final addition to his offensive game to truly make him a weapon from all areas. For the rest of the NBA, that's a scary idea.

OKC's depth is off the charts

The Thunder may have its core that drives much of its success, but from top to bottom down the depth chart, it has players that can make an impact.

That's not a claim every team can make around the league, but through smart drafting and moves in the offseason, Oklahoma City has been able to build a roster of players that not only excel in individual areas, but complement the team as a whole.

Whether it be Cason Wallace's seven points and five steals or Ousmane Dieng's 10 points and five assists, the Thunder have players that can step up and contribute valuable minutes. That's a lot to juggle for head coach Mark Daigneault in determining the minutes distribution, but that's a good problem to have.

Obviously injury is always something a team wants to avoid, but worst comes to worst, Oklahoma City can likely survive simply because of the sheer amount of talent waiting to get an increased opportunity. That isn't a crutch, that's a luxury.

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