The Oklahoma City Thunder made their 2025-26 NBA preseason debut on Sunday, October 5 in a 135-114 victory over the Charlotte Hornets that featured Nikola Topic in a point guard role. Even amid calls for patience and perspective, Topic turned a preseason game into a showcase.
Time will reveal just how ready Topic is to thrive against NBA rotations, but his preseason debut was a captivating sign of just how dynamic a player he can be.
Topic finished the win against the Hornets with 10 points, seven assists, four rebounds and a steal in 31 minutes of action. He struggled with his jump shot, but created consistent penetration and displayed the court vision that made him a 2024 lottery pick.
Prepared and ready to thrive in a drive-and-kick environment, Topic instantly established himself as a player to watch.
An unmissable assist + another Thunder three 👀@OGandE Power play of the game pic.twitter.com/ToNcz9ADAz
– OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) October 5, 2025
It’s yet another intriguing development from a player who also turned heads during Summer League. Of course, neither competition is up to true NBA standards, especially when a player looking for minutes on a reigning champion.
What Topic is already showing, however, is that he has the skills the Thunder need to put the finishing touches on a potential dynasty.
Nikola Topic already looks like the playmaker the Thunder need
It’s easy to dismiss Topic’s performance due to a number of factors, including the fact that it took place during the preseason. What he showed in his 31 minutes, however, is that he has the uncanny raw ability to make sure the ball lands in the right spot when he’s running the offense.
More importantly, Topic proved he could excel in any number of sets, with the playmaking ability the Thunder needed to replace since the loss of Josh Giddey.
Topic’s assists against the Hornets showed how advanced his processing speed is as a passer. His first dime was the result of a high screen from well beyond the three-point line, which allowed him to get off to a good start and hit a Branden Carlsen pass while the point guard and diver were in motion.
The second assist was in transition, with Topic using his previous coast-to-coast basket to trick the defense into recovering it to create an open shot for Chris Youngblood.
In a sense, it was the epitome of what makes Topic such a coveted prospect. He didn’t blow everyone away with his explosiveness or his shots, but instead played the game methodically and logically, reading and reacting while operating with a destination in mind.
For example: Topic’s next scoring involvement again came via pick and roll, but this time he punished Charlotte for going under the screen by knocking down a mid-range jump shot.
Thunder Rookie Nikola Topic Is a Playmaker for Thoughtful Fans
On the next takedown, a stray screen allowed Topic to attack without hesitation, forcing the baseline defender to come out and recover it. He acted instinctively, quickly sending a pass to an open Jaylin Williams for a floater from under the low block.
About two minutes later, he did perhaps the most important thing a point guard can do: reward Williams’ hot hand with a wide-open three-on-one – ease by Aaron Wiggins’ off-ball screen.
That trend continued, as Topic sent an advance pass to Williams in the corner for another three, one of five he made against the Hornets. When Charlotte finally trapped him off a high screen, he calmly dribbled into space and hit a floater that defenders didn’t expect him to attempt.
As if it were written by a novelist prone to the most obvious twists: Charlotte then forced Topic to go with a double team off a high screen, and Topic returned the ball for a pick-and-pop three.
This was a truly brilliant performance from Topic, who found what worked, was presented with a counter, and responded by accepting one of the options he created for himself. He didn’t force things, nor did he simply accept defeat. He learned from past experiences and punished the Hornets for thinking they had him guessed.
The preseason can’t tell us much about a player, but watching Topic turn one successful play into the foundation of another was the epitome of what great point guards do.
