The Oklahoma City Thunder will get their 2024-25 NBA season underway with a trip to Ball Arena to face Western Conference rivals the Denver Nuggets on Friday morning.
These two sides ended last season with identical records of 57-25, but the Thunder came out on top of the Conference standings on the head-to-head tie-breaker.
Match preview
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Denver Nuggets fans are likely a little nervous heading into this season-opener, having seen their side just complete an underwhelming preseason, during which they only managed a single victory in five matches.
The Nuggets began the preseason in Abu Dhabi with back-to-back defeats against the Celtics, and while those results may have been excusable given their opponents, losing upon their return to the US to a Suns side that rested all of their starters was tougher to overlook.
However, concerns really began to ramp up after their fourth match of the preseason when they were thumped by OKC 124-94 at this venue, in a match which saw Michael Malone's side post just 25 assists and make only 10 threes while giving up 17.
Indeed, Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Russell Westbrook all sat out that game, but the performance suggested that the Nuggets could struggle with depth this season, while their defence throughout the pre-season was downright poor, even when they were close to full-strength.
Denver's success this season will hinge on finding the right balance between their experienced core players and the contributions of their younger talent. However, if things do not go as planned, significant roster changes may be on the horizon.
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Meanwhile, there is major optimism for Oklahoma City Thunder fans, who watched their side notch up 57 wins last season, up from 40 in 2022-23, with one of the youngest rosters across the NBA.
While their elimination in the Conference semi-final brought a bittersweet feeling after an outstanding campaign, it also highlighted the immense potential of a project that has yet to reach its full capacity.
Perhaps the one criticism of the Thunder last year was their lack of centimetres in the paint beyond Chet Holmgren, but Mark Daigneault and Sam Presti seem to have addressed those concerns by bringing in Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso.
Hartenstein is a centre who brings the team interior toughness and tremendous rebounding ability, while Caruso is still considered one of the best defenders in the league and his experience could be invaluable to this young Thunder outfit.
In a fiercely competitive Western Conference, OKC enter this season with a strong mix of young talent, balance, and a winning mentality, and if the new additions perform as expected and the young core keeps progressing, the team's potential is immense.
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Team News
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After losing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency during the offseason, the big question for the Denver Nuggets will be who steps up to fill the void for the team at the shooting guard position.
Christian Braun is expected to be given the start ahead of Julian Strawther in this match owing to his experience, though it will not come as a huge surprise if Malone experiments with a few players in this position this season.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ended his second straight season in the top-five MVP candidates and is expected to be the heart and soul of OKC again, while many feel that Holmgren and Jalen Williams will make their first All-Star roster this term.
However, Williams did suffer a sprained ankle in the Thunder's preseason finale and is flagged as a minor doubt, while Hartenstein is set to miss at least the first month of the season with a fractured hand.
Denver Nuggets possible starting five:
Murray, Braun, Porter Jr., Gordon, Jokic
Oklahoma City Thunder possible starting five:
Gilgeous-Alexander, Dort, Caruso, Williams, Holmgren
We say: Oklahoma City Thunder to win by 5+ points
While the Nuggets will be at full strength for this match, their underwhelming preseason form and lack of depth, particularly defensively, was hard to overlook.
The Thunder were not at their absolute best in the preseason either, but the manner in which they dispatched the Nuggets a couple of weeks ago was impressive, and we feel they will kick off the season with a victory in this one.
Devesh Jaganath
