Monday’s Preseason Game Gives The Thunder An Opportunity To Collect More Data Points

The Oklahoma City Thunder are getting closer to the start of the regular season, but there are still questions the coaching staff needs to answer. Monday’s road preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks gives them another chance to find some of those answers, even with most of the team’s key players staying home.

For fans, seeing the Thunder take the floor without most of their regular rotation players might not be the most exciting part of the preseason. But for Mark Daigneault and his coaching staff, these games can be just as valuable as the ones featuring the team’s biggest names.

Oklahoma City already knows what Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren bring to the floor. The bigger question right now is what the team can get from the players behind them.

That is where Monday’s game becomes important.

With more minutes available, younger players will have another opportunity to show what they can do when given a bigger role. It is one thing to make an impact in a limited stretch of playing time. It is another to handle more responsibility, make the right decisions consistently and show that you can be trusted when the regular season begins.

The Thunder have already gotten looks at several young players through their first two preseason games. Monday gives them another chance to see how those players respond to different situations and whether they can build on what they have shown so far.

Bennett Stirtz and Aday Mara are among the players who could benefit from the extra opportunities. Stirtz can continue showing his ability to run the offense, create for teammates and make decisions with the ball in his hands. Mara, meanwhile, is still adjusting to the speed and physicality of the NBA. More time on the floor would give him another chance to get comfortable and show what he can provide around the basket.

The numbers will matter to some extent, but the coaching staff will be watching much more than the box score. 

How do these players defend? Are they making the right reads? Can they keep the ball moving instead of forcing plays? Do they understand where they need to be within the Thunder’s system?

Those are the types of details that can separate a productive preseason performance from one that actually earns a player more opportunities during the regular season.

Monday’s game also gives Daigneault a chance to experiment with different lineups. 

When the main rotation is unavailable, other players have to take on responsibilities they might not normally get. That can help the coaching staff figure out which combinations work, who plays well together and where the team might need more development.

Finding those answers matter. Oklahoma City has high expectations, and will need contributions from more than just its best players to reach its goals. Injuries, rest and different matchups will create opportunities throughout the season, and the Thunder need to know who they can turn to when those moments arrive.

Of course, one preseason game will not determine anyone’s future with the team. There is only so much a coaching staff can learn from a limited sample of games. Still, every opportunity to see players in live action provides another piece of the puzzle.

That is ultimately what Monday is about.

The Thunder do not need their stars on the floor to get something meaningful out of a preseason game. With the regular season approaching, this is another chance to evaluate the younger players, learn more about the team’s depth and see who is ready to take advantage of an opportunity.

The results might not tell the whole story, but the film from Monday’s game could give Oklahoma City some useful information as it gets closer to defending its championship.