135-114
FINALOklahoma
City Thunder
28-3|L10: 10-0
Charlotte
Hornets
8-21|L10: 2-8
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OKC • Guard • #25
2 months ago
Mitchell suffered a lower-body injury in the loss, potentially rolling his ankle. It’s unclear if the injury contributed to his limited playing time, but he was excellent when on the court. Mitchell is too far down OKC’s depth chart to be a weekly contributor in redraft leagues, but he’s a fine stash in dynasty leagues.
Source: Brandon Rahbar
CHA • • #
2 months ago
Hornets head coach Charles Lee has not settled on a starting center, and the competition may run for the preseason. However, after Moussa Diabaté started the first two preseason games, Kalkbrenner got his shot Saturday night. And the second-round pick out of Creighton played well, not missing a shot from the field while recording a double-double in 25 minutes. Diabaté (6/2/1) played 12 minutes and veteran Mason Plumlee (zero points, four rebounds) played 11 in Saturday’s victory. Even if Kalkbrenner isn’t the starter when the regular season begins, he’ll likely be given every opportunity to earn the job. He’s definitely a rookie worth selecting in redraft leagues.
OKC • Guard-Forward • #8
2 months ago
Williams, who agreed to a five-year rookie max extension in July, underwent surgery on his right wrist a few weeks after the Thunder won the NBA title. The good news is that he’s back on the court doing individual work. The bad news is that Williams is not shooting with his right hand, with the regular season beginning on October 21. And the Thunder have been tight-lipped on whether he’ll be ready for opening night, with head coach Mark Daigneault simply saying that Williams is “progressing on a normal timeline.” Fantasy managers willing to draft Williams should consider using a late-round pick on a player like Cason Wallace, Aaron Wiggins or Isaiah Joe as an insurance policy if they have to start the season with J-Dub in an IL+ slot.
Source: Tim MacMahon
CHA • Guard • #2
2 months ago
Sexton came off the bench and got to work quickly on the offensive end against the Thunder. Largely due to his three-point production, the veteran guard finished as one of five Charlotte players to score in double figures. He didn’t have much of an impact in any other categories on Thursday, but still displayed how he could be useful for the Hornets during the 2025-26 season. Sexton could potentially begin the regular season as a reserve player.
CHA • Guard • #23
2 months ago
Mann replaced Kon Knueppel in the starting lineup on Thursday and had a strong offensive showing. The fifth-year guard shot efficiently and utilized the three-point shot to leave his mark on offense. In just 23 minutes, he led all Charlotte players in scoring en route to a productive game overall. Mann is looking to have a bounce-back season after playing just 13 games for the Hornets a season ago.
CHA • Guard • #1
2 months ago
Ball ramped up his minutes in his second preseason game. After logging 15 minutes on Sunday, he played 25 in Thursday’s contest, where he tied a team-high in made threes. As a high-usage guard, Ball will have nights when he finishes with high turnover totals, as was the case on Thursday. Still, he’ll be a high scorer and should rack up assists and threes on most nights, leaving him with high fantasy basketball potential in points leagues.
OKC • Guard • #9
2 months ago
Caruso played 18 minutes in his first preseason action, using efficient shooting to finish as one of five Thunder players to score in double figures. He recorded a couple of stocks as well and had a positive impact during his time on the court. At full strength, Caruso will likely return to a reserve role for OKC, but should again play an important role for the defending champions throughout the season.
OKC • Guard • #11
2 months ago
The sharp-shooting wing was dominant from beyond the arc on Thursday, tallying a game-high in three-pointers to finish as OKC’s leading scorer. All of Joe’s field goal attempts and makes came from beyond the arc against the Hornets. He shot 41.2 percent from distance last season en route to averaging double-digit points for the first time in his NBA career, and is expected to play a similar role in the Thunder’s rotation in their quest for a second straight NBA championship.
OKC • Guard • #2
2 months ago
In his first bit of preseason action, Gilgeous-Alexander was productive in 18 minutes of game action. The reigning league MVP showed few signs of rust, shooting efficiently both inside and outside the arc while showing off his ability as a facilitator. Entering his eighth NBA season, SGA figures to be entering his prime at age 27. He’ll look to follow his MVP season without another outstanding campaign for the defending champions.
OKC • Guard • #2
2 months ago
Gilgeous-Alexander, Hartenstein, Dort and Caruso all will make their preseason debuts on Thursday for the Thunder’s home opener, giving the defending champions a rotation that more closely resembles what viewers could expect during the upcoming regular season. The Thunder has a 1-1 record through two preseason games and will have a chance to secure a second win over the Hornets, whom they defeated earlier in October.
Source: Justin Martinez
CHA • Guard • #23
2 months ago
Mann gets the start over rookie Kon Knueppel on Thursday for the Hornets. The fifth-year guard appeared in 28 games for the Hornets during the 2023-24 season and started all of them after being acquired via trade, but didn’t start in any of his 13 appearances for Charlotte last season. He recorded seven points, five rebounds and five assists in 17 minutes in Charlotte’s preseason opener on Tuesday.
Source: Charlotte Hornets
OKC • Forward • #13
2 months ago
Despite shooting inefficiently from beyond the arc, the fourth-year forward utilized a high volume of shots to conclude as one of five Thunder players to reach double figures in scoring. Dieng’s rebounding and playmaking were also noteworthy as he tallied a team-high in assists in his 35 minutes of game action. He’s now logged two productive preseason outings, which could serve as momentum the rest of the way and into the regular season. Dieng has yet to earn a consistent role in Oklahoma City’s nightly rotation.
OKC • Guard • #44
2 months ago
Topić, who played 31 minutes in his preseason debut Sunday evening, underwent a testicular procedure on Monday. Unfortunately, the rookie, due to be part of the reigning champions’ bench rotation, will not be available when Oklahoma City opens its regular season. Given the reported timeline, there’s a chance Topić will be good to go before Thanksgiving. His absence likely means second-year guard Ajay Mitchell will have an opportunity to earn rotation minutes as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s backup. Mitchell would not be a draft-worthy player in most fantasy leagues. The 12th overall pick in the 2024 draft, Topić has yet to make his official NBA debut, as he missed all of last season with a torn ACL.
Source: OKC Thunder Wire
OKC • Guard • #44
2 months ago
Topic missed all of his would-be rookie season in 2024-25 with an ACL tear, but he looked solid in Summer League and got off to a great start in the preseason. Oklahoma City is deep at multiple positions, so Topic’s path to meaningful minutes may be tough to navigate in 2025-26.
CHA • • #
2 months ago
The No. 34 pick teased a double-double and made an impact on the defensive end in his first preseason game. The big man shot an efficient 4-of-6 from the field, though he went just 3-of-5 from the charity stripe. He should see plenty of run in his first NBA season, and he’s in contention to land the starting center job for a team bereft of depth at the position.
CHA • • #
2 months ago
Kalkbrenner, the 34th overall pick in June’s draft, is one of the options competing for the right to start at center when the regular season begins. And he’s made a positive impression on Hornets head coach Charles Lee, who’s obviously the person Kalkbrenner needs to impress. “His basketball IQ stands out to me, his competitiveness stands out to me and I think his willingness to keep it simple stands out to me,” Lee said. “I think that he’s in the right positions a lot of times because he’s willing to do whatever it takes to kind of help his teammates defensively and offensively. And so he’s been phenomenal — as have all the rookies. But he’s stood out.” Kalkbrenner won Big East Defensive Player of the Year four times, something only Patrick Ewing (Georgetown) had accomplished in the conference’s history. Having also made steady improvements offensively throughout his time at Creighton, Kalkbrenner has the skill and IQ required to have an immediate impact if he can beat out Mason Plumlee and Moussa Diabaté for the starting job. At a minimum, the Hornets’ rookie is worth selecting with a late-round draft pick.
Source: Charlotte Observer
CHA • Guard • #23
3 months ago
Mann’s season ended on November 21 despite Charlotte not communicating an official end to his season. He had a strong start, but he wasn’t healthy until just after the regular season ended. With the Hornets roster currently healthy, he’ll compete with Collin Sexton for backup guard minutes, though he may not play a significant role early on.
CHA • Forward • #2
3 months ago
There were already reports that both players would miss camp, but not having any idea of when they’ll be healthy is pretty typical for the Hornets. Their lack of clarity when it comes to injury reporting in recent years has been a frustration. Hopefully they’ll provide a better timeline soon, but don’t count on it. With Kon Knueppel in the mix now, neither Williams nor Green was likely going to start or be impactful in fantasy basketball anyway.
Source: Rod Boone
OKC • Guard-Forward • #34
3 months ago
The Thunder will open training camp down a rotation player, as Williams will undergo knee surgery on Monday. Following the procedure, the team will provide a timeline regarding his recovery. While his absence won’t have a significant impact on fantasy basketball, Williams is a versatile frontcourt player capable of providing depth at both forward positions.
Source: Oklahoman