Three Takeaways From the OKC Thunder's Season-Opening Win in Chicago
The Oklahoma City Thunder used a strong second half to cruise to a win in their season opener.
The Thunder beat the Bulls 124-104 on Wednesday night for their first win of the new season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was a big part of that.
The Thunder star finished with 31 points and 10 assists, leading the team in both stats. Oklahoma City got valuable performances from each of its other starters as well.
Four of the Thunder’s starters scored at least 10 points, with the exception of Luguentz Dort. However, Dort played a crucial role in holding the Bulls’ star duo of Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan to a combined 36 points on 36% shooting.
Oklahoma City’s ball movement was a highlight as it finished with 30 assists on 45 makes. Oklahoma City also shot 54.9% from the floor, as Chicago often had no answers defensively.
Let’s dive into three lessons that can be learned from yesterday’s game.
Chet Holmgren
Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
The Thunder’s shooting could be a weapon
Oklahoma City’s 3-point shooting was vital to its win against Chicago. Oklahoma City made 19 shots from beyond the arc, which is something it did only three times last season.
With three 3-pointers early in the fourth quarter from Isaiah Joe and Cason Wallace, the Thunder extended their lead to 16. Joe and Wallace finished the night with three makes from beyond the arc, tying Ousmane Dieng for the lead in that category.
While the Thunder’s bench nailing outside shots is a good sign, the starters each made two shots from deep. Gilgeous-Alexander’s performance from outside was especially intriguing as he had five 3-point attempts, something he did only seven times last season.
The Thunder’s great shooting performance also came without two of their best shooters. Davis Bertans never saw the floor, and Jaylin Williams, who shot 40% from three last season, is out with an injury.
Chet Holmgren’s rookie year won’t be smooth
Holmgren had some good performances in the preseason, but his lack of NBA experience showed in his NBA debut. Holmgren played 25 minutes, the lowest of the starters, and was taken out early in the third quarter as Chicago made a run.
That was partly because Holmgren struggled on the glass against Andre Drummond and Nikola Vucevic. Drummond got the best of Holmgren in a second-quarter stretch when he dunked on Holmgren, then stripped the ball from the rookie and crossed him up for a transition layup on the next possession.
Holmgren still finished with 11 points and nailed some jumpers, but his adjustment to playing NBA centers will take some time. His debut will not be the last time he has some rough stretches, but as long as he continues to contribute to wins, the Thunder will live with that.
The Thunder’s bench will be a strength
Oklahoma City’s starting lineup will be its best lineup, but the dropoff when they go to the bench may not be as large as anticipated. Against Chicago, Oklahoma City’s reserves scored 42 points.
Joe and Wallace were responsible for most of those, combining for 27. With those two, along with Aaron Wiggins and potentially Vasilije Micic, taking the minutes at the guard spot, the Thunder’s guard rotation could have a case for being the best in the league.
Once Jaylin Williams and Kenrich Williams return, the Thunder’s defense from the second unit will get a much-needed boost, as that was an area of concern for parts of the game. While the Thunder will not want to rely on their bench to get wins, they may not have to worry about that unit losing games, either.
The Thunder’s first outing was a successful one. Although the Thunder had some issues throughout the game, still finishing with a 20-point win is an encouraging sign moving forward.
The Thunder finishes their opening two-game road trip against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday before starting a six-game homestand on Sunday.
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