• Oklahoma City Thunder (0-0) @ Denver Nuggets (0-0)
• When: Thursday, 24 October 2024 at 8:00pm CST
• Where: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
• TV: TNT

The Set-Up

There hasn’t been a more anticipated season for the Thunder than this upcoming season. You can maybe argue the 2012-13 season where the Thunder were coming off a Finals appearance. Or maybe the 2015-16 season where the team was stacked with talent, but also a ticking timebomb. But for some reason, this season feels different. Maybe it’s the wide-open nature of the league, where a new champ has been crowned the last 6 seasons. Maybe it’s the fact that this feels like the most cohesive and deepest team in Thunder history. Maybe it’s the fact that youth is still on our side and we still have one of the most, if not the most, coveted asset chest in the league. Whatever it is, the vibes are still immaculate, the calendar is starting on a new season, and hope is springing eternal. It’s the first step in the journey. Game 1. Thunder Up!

This is the first of 4 meetings this season between these two division, conference, and possibly, championship-contending rivals. The Thunder won the season series last year 3-1, winning the last three games of the series after getting trounced in their home-opener.

Betting Info

• Line: DEN -1.5
• O/U: 227.5

Injury Report

OKC

DEN

• DaRon Holmes – OUT (Achilles surgery recovery)

Three Big Things

1. Big Man Depth – What big man depth? The Thunder currently have none. Everyone that you would mention as a back-up big for Chet Holmgren is currently out with injury. But the right question may be: Do the Thunder really need those back-up bigs in this game? Despite the narrative that Jokic’s big frame can do large amounts of damage against Holmgren, the reality from last season was that if you eliminate the first meeting (Nuggets blowout win) and the last meeting of the season (no Jokic) between these two teams, Holmgren was a +19 compared to a -28 for Jokic in the two middle games. Now, I know, +/- doesn’t tell the whole story, but it does tell some of the story. What I’m more worried about is Aaron Gordon. While Jalen Williams and Lu Dort are apt defender, Gordon has the physical strength and size to outmuscle those two defenders. Maybe this is where Alex Caruso’s ability to guard up shows up.  This is where the Thunder are going to miss Hartenstein and J-Will. But enter, Ousmane Dieng and Dillon Jones (and possibly, Alex Reese). That “next man up” mentality is going to have to ring true for the Thunder to be successful in this game.
2. Bench minutes – The starting line-ups for both these teams have the ability to play to a draw. But the bench is where the Thunder are likely far superior to the Nuggets. We all love Russell Westbrook and appreciate everything he’s done for our franchise and our city. But he is not the same player he was 6 years ago. Dario Saric may give you good minutes, but he’s a coin flip from night to night. And then they are having to depend on unproven talent like Julian Strawther and Peyton Watson. For the Thunder, guys like Cason Wallace, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins will be looked upon for steady production when the starters are out.
3. Keeping perspective – Regardless what happens in this game, have some perspective. It’s game 1 of 82 and we are dealing with some injuries. We want to be playing our best ball at the end of the season, not necessarily at the beginning. There will be bumps and hiccups along the way. But the season is not made in Game 1. The Knicks and Timberwolves will look much better as the season progresses. The Celtics and Lakers are not on a collision course to meet in the finals. The first game of any season is just the beginning of the journey.