Thunder Mailbag: Training Camp and Preseason are Underway

Answering the three best questions submitted to this week’s mailbag.

Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso pose for their photo. Thunder media day ay the Paycom Center Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. / DOUG HOKE/THEOKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 2024-25 season is just a few weeks away, but the work needs to start now for the Oklahoma City Thunder to make a championship push in the upcoming campaign. Especially with new faces on the roster who are expected to play significant roles, training camp and the preseason are of extreme importance for this squad.

A five-game preseason slate is set to kick off on Monday, with roughly a week of camp under Oklahoma City's belt. While there aren't big roster decisions to be made during training camp -- which was the case the past few seasons -- this is still an opportunity to build chemistry and ensure a strong start to the regular season later this month.

Let’s answer the five best questions that were submitted for this week’s mailbag:

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Who Has the Most to Gain in Training Camp?

I think the easy answer here is Ousmane Dieng, especially given he’s entering a pivotal third season and continues to be squeezed out of the rotation as time goes on. He’s the size and archetype of player that in theory could be extremely helpful for the Thunder, but hasn’t yet gotten to a point where he is able to contribute on a consistent basis. Proving he’s taken a step forward in camp and in preseason action could be a big momentum and confidence builder for him. 

Will the Preseason Unveil the Official Starting Lineup?

It’s unlikely. Both Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort will be resting in the preseason opener on Monday, and there’s a chance that Oklahoma City won’t roll out a full-strength roster at all ahead of the regular season. Furthermore, the Thunder is an organization that doesn’t like to show its cards, so expect a different starting lineup each night of the preseason as the coaching staff evaluates different combinations. We may see the eventual starting lineup during the preseason, but it won’t be labeled or confirmed as such. 

What Are You Looking Forward to Most in the Preseason?

There’s obviously tremendous hype surrounding the debuts of Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein, but I’ll go a different direction here. I’m fascinated by the duo of Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe, who both got locked into new contracts this offseason. For the Thunder to make that next leap, it’ll take more than just the top players being impactful. It will also take guys like Wiggins expanding his game a bit and Joe continuing to find ways be impactful outside of spot-up shooting. Both players are just scratching the surface of their potential, with the preseason being a great forum to showcase new parts of their game. 

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Note: Questions may be paraphrased in order to group or aggregate similar submissions.

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