The Serbian player Nikola Topic is preparing for his first season of Oklahoma City Thunder after missing all the regular seasonal matches of 2024-25 with an ACL partially torn in his left knee. Thomas Sorber, which Oklahoma City took at n ° 15 in the recovery of the NBA of June, tore his right ACL during an off -season training on Thursday. The center of Georgetown will not play this year at all.
Most NBA recruits are not positive players, and even less differences in differences. The existing Thunder Core is therefore laughing.
Three beginners of Oklahoma City have been part of the All-Rookie team since the 2022 draft. Each of them helped catalyze a turnaround of nearly 180 degrees. The Thunder improved the fourth first NBA record during the 2021-22 season to 84 victories in total – tied to the third plus in the history of the league – last season.
Needless to say, the subject must make a seismic effort to reach a similar status.
Big man chet Holmgren, which was choice n ° 2 in 2022, On average 16.5 points Out of 53.0% shooting, 7.9 rebounds (1.6 offensive), 2.4 assists and 2.3 blocks while playing all 82 games during its Recruit 2023-24 campaign. He counted a 3.4 plus-me box (N ° 35 in NBAmin. 500 minutes), a +2.9 estimated more-me (N ° 36 in the NBA) and a lebron +2.50 (No. 28 in NBA), overloading thunder at both ends of the ground.
Holmgren finished n ° 2 in the recruit of the year with the center of San Antonio Spurs Victor Wembanyama, who recorded his own extremely impactful season. Stronger Jalen Williams suffered a fate similar to that of a recruit, recording impressive efficiency and versatile statistics, but not exceeding the winner of Orlando Magic Paolo Banchero.
Williams, like Holmgren, was the most notable addition of Oklahoma City for a two -digit victories jump. The two started most of the matches as recruits, provided a secondary score and watched the defense – Holmgren part being immediately a high -level shore protector. The Cason Wallace goalkeeper was above all a reserve throughout his first year, but he presented the captures and the shot and the defense of the elite perimeter. These skills were invaluable for seeded n ° 1 of the Western Conference.
The reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did the second All-Rookie team with the 2018-19 clippers. He started 73 gameshas an average of 10.8 points out of 47.6% shooting and recorded a modest box of -0.5 plus -me.
|
Season |
Member of any rock garden |
Departures |
Points per game |
|---|---|---|---|
|
2018-19 |
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, lake |
73 |
10.8 |
|
2022-23 |
Jalen Williams, OKC |
62 |
14.1 |
|
2023-24 |
Chet Holmgren, okcc |
82 |
16.5 |
|
2023-24 |
Cason wallace, okc |
13 |
6.8 |
Holmgren was the best prospect of the Thunder acquired during his reconstruction and played as a first choice from the first day. Williams shot a cannon during his junior campaign at the University of Santa Clara, increased predraft advice with an excellent recovery, exceeded the expectations of recruits and progressed in a double -way star. Gilgeous-Aalexander filled out a quality clippers on the quality of Lou Williams and Patrick Beverley, producing if necessary in a team of playoffs. He became the top scorer in Oklahoma City next year.
The key point to remember: the three best players from Oklahoma City were stallions before acquiring a lot of experience.
The subject does not have much room to present his talent because he will play next to a handful of impactful guards. Gilgeous-Alexander, Wallace and Isaiah Joe are rotation staples. Luguentz Dort, Alex Caruso and Aaron Wiggins can play as guards or forward depending on the programming, but they are also ahead of the subject on the table of depths. Even the second year student Ajay Mitchell will participate for regular season minutes.
The depth of the Thunder was one of its biggest forces last season, and it should be better this year, even without Sorber. This is bad news for the subject, because the 10 members of All-Rookie 2024-25 made at least 31 departures.
|
Member of any rock garden |
Departures |
Points per game |
Box More-Mo |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Castle Stephon, SAS |
47 |
14.7 |
-3.2 |
|
Zaccharie Risacher, ATL |
73 |
12.6 |
-3.5 |
|
Jaylen Wells, Mem |
74 |
10.4 |
-2.2 |
|
Zach Eddey, Mem |
55 |
9.2 |
-0.1 |
|
Alex Sarr, was |
67 |
13.0 |
-3.3 |
|
Kel’el Ware, Mia |
36 |
9.3 |
-0.1 |
|
Matas Buzelis, Chi |
31 |
8.6 |
-2.5 |
|
Yves Missi, nop |
67 |
9.1 |
-3.0 |
|
Donovan Clingan, por |
37 |
6.5 |
-0.3 |
|
Bub Carrington, was |
57 |
9.8 |
-4.6 |
All-Rookie voting values include statistics and playing time on value, even if this logic is long-term counter-intuitive. Four of the five recipients of the All-Rookie 2024-25 team recorded on average two-digit points. The only exception, Memphis Grizzlies Center Zach Edey, has an average of 8.3 rebounds (3.5 offensive), 1.3 blocks, 1.0 assists and compiled the most impacted measures of the lot.
Eddey and his teammate Jaylen Wells were the only rewarded recruits that played on A team above .500. The Grizzlies won 48 games with a net note of +4.7 (n ° 6 in the NBA) and lost against the Thunder in a sweep in the first round.
Unsurprisingly, most productive recruits are selected at the top of the draft, play a lot of minutes and set up figures on bad teams.
Jaylin Williams made nine departures last season despite the flowers in one of the best in the NBA. Caruso made three departures despite the best defender of the perimeter of the NBA. This season, the subject will not start the games unless many rotation players are seated. A problem of the first world, to say the least.
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