The NBA Summer League comes and goes, but there are some valuable things Oklahoma City Thunder fans can take away from the list. One of the biggest things to watch was the impact of Nikola Topic, the franchise’s newest signing who missed all of last season due to injury.
It wasn’t Topic’s finest sequence of play, but that was to be expected. He’s still a raw player, arriving at just 19 years old and going 18 months without playing in organized basketball games. Still, he gave us a glimpse of what he could bring to Oklahoma City.
The rookie’s best performance came in a win over the Brooklyn Nets, in which he dropped 18 points, six assists, four rebounds and a steal on 7-of-18 shooting from the field. His scoring hasn’t always been effective, but in this match the volume was quite impressive. Additionally, he turned away 2 of 6 attempts from behind the arc.
The subject is notably a powerful playmaker. He was one of the best of the entire Summer League period, although turnovers were an issue at times. It’s something that will come with more experience as he continues to get acquainted with the NBA game, and it’s clear that he has the tools to become a true playmaker at one of the Thunder’s guard positions.
To unlock all the potential he has in store, it’s going to take Topic some time. He is young and has many areas in his game that will need fine-tuning, especially playing a significant role on a well-rounded Oklahoma City roster. The key to his process will be patience.
It’s difficult to predict how immediately Topic will make an impact this year, but getting him solid enough reps will be crucial for the future of his career. The Thunder would certainly like him to be an integral part of their roster – especially when the new long-term extensions kick in – so he’ll need to start his development early.
