The Oklahoma City Thunder kicked off its preseason with a 135-114 win on the road against the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday. After a competitive training camp for the champion Thunder, Oklahoma City saved its starters along with most of head coach Mark Daigneault's rotation, which didn't make the trip to Charleston, South Carolina.
MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, All-Star Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Lu Dort, Isaiah Hartenstein, Alex Caruso, and Ajay Mitchell all stayed behind, while the rest of the Thunder took care of business against the Hornets. Here are three of the biggest takeaways from Sunday's 21-point win.
1. Aaron Wiggins leads Thunder with an efficient performance
Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins' 23 points on 10-of-14 attempts, six assists, and two rebounds led Oklahoma City, as it kept the Hornets at bay early and often throughout the game. Wiggins quickly settled into his role as one of the Thunder's primary offensive focal points, scoring in a variety of ways, including fade-away jumpers, drives to the rim, and pull-up threes. He finished 2-for-4 from deep.
Wiggins made a significant stride last season, while averaging career-bests in points (12.0), rebounds (3.9), assists (1.8), and steals (0.8) per game. He also connected on 48.8% of his attempts, including 38.3% from deep, and is one of the Thunder's more reliable scorers off the bench, entering his fifth season.
After the win, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault revealed his takeaways from his team's first preseason outing.
“I thought those guys went out there and played. I thought the ball moved really well. Got into a really nice rhythm on offense and then defensively, some breakdowns, but certainly good execution as well,” Daigneault said. “Good starting point for us.”
2. Ousmane Dieng shines in extended role
Thunder forward Ousmane Dieng earned just as many attempts in Sunday's win against the Hornets as Aaron Wiggins, and the fourth-year big man didn't disappoint. He filled the stat sheet with 17 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and one steal. Dieng also showed off his outside touch, netting 3-of-6 from three before finishing 7-of-14 from the floor.
Buried behind starters Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Jaylin Williams in the Thunder's depth chart, there are often not enough minutes for Dieng, who usually splits his seasons between the Thunder and the Blue, Oklahoma City's G League affiliate. You can see the gains in Dieng's game ahead of the upcoming season, as we'll continue to get an expanded look throughout the preseason.
3. Chris Youngblood makes a case for Thunder's two-way spot
After Chris Youngblood's impressive performances in Thunder's Summer League, he stole the show with his 20 points in 21 minutes off the bench against the Hornets. Youngblood went 7-for-11 from the floor, including 5-of-8 from three, and finished with three rebounds and one assist.
Youngblood's scoring and defense undoubtedly led to him securing an Exhibit 10 deal, which could turn into a two-way contract ahead of the 2025-26 campaign. In a Summer League game against the Brooklyn Nets, Youngblood erupted for 19 points, including 3-of-5 from deep, and added two steals.
After signing second-round pick Brooks Barnhizer and Branden Carlson to two-way deals, Youngblood is undoubtedly in the running for the Thunder's vacant two-way roster spot ahead of the regular season.
