Nikola Topic has been a widely discussed player in recent months, having missed the Thunder’s championship season due to injury but potentially bringing some needed talent to the point guard position.
Drafted in 2024, Topic sat out last year with an ACL injury but is now in the midst of a Summer League campaign for Oklahoma City. For the most part, he played well in his first quasi-NBA action, scoring 14 points on 6-for-11 shooting, with four assists and two steals.
Perhaps the most telling number of his night was his seven turnovers, which came in a variety of unfortunate situations: being hounded at the point of attack, losing control while driving or simply passing through the defense.
The high number of turnovers speaks to a fairly consistent theme in the NBA: point guards need ample time to develop.
The point guard position is among the toughest in the league, especially for players who thrive more on skill rather than athleticism, which Topic is a part of. Handling the rock, setting up the offense and thriving off the ball presents one of the steepest learning curves in sports, especially for young players without NBA experience.
Additionally, Topic has been playing truly competitive five-on-five basketball regularly for some time, and will generally need some time to get back into the swing of things. He climbed the rankings thanks to some white-hot play in the ABA, but he wasn’t expected to be a day-one play in the NBA anyway.
All of this and more should leave some grace for his Summer League roster, but especially for the freshman impact. With the Thunder fresh off a championship run and still possessing a competitive-level team, there’s a chance Topic won’t be able to make a massive impact on games early.
No matter how Topic comes out of Summer League, good or bad, he’ll need time to iron out the kinks. But OKC is playing with house money, regardless of its place atop the league.
