OKC Could Get Even Scarier Next Year…

OKC Could Get Even Scarier Next Year…

go go go go go go the OKC Thunder have just reached their first NBA finals since 2012 and somehow they could get even scarier next year that might sound a little crazy but they have the best young core in the league and the most draft capital for years to come they will pick twice in the first round of this year’s stack draft and moreover they will have Serbian guard Nicola Topic last year’s lottery selection debuting after injury in a league where everyone else’s contending windows are shortening because of the new CBA rules are we about to see OKC dominating for long let’s see what Nicola Topic will bring to Oklahoma 2024 draft was a tricky one in what was dubbed by many as the weakest selection in years the biggest high-risk highreward choice at 12 was definitely Serbian Nicola Topic i would have said Matas Bzales but he was selected at 11th by the Bulls it was known at the time that Topic will miss the entire year but it fit the OKC timeline perfectly their core was already strong and it was clear that an offenseoriented rookie guard wouldn’t contribute much to your championship aspirations in his year 1 but the Serbian was definitely worth betting on the last two years heading up to this event were a crazy roller coaster for the tall slashy and crafty 6’6 point guard first he was projected to go only in the second round then he played at an insane level in Europe and even got to being a top three pick in almost all mock boards then came two knee injuries and only six games played in the last 6 months heading into the 2024 draft nobody really knew which franchise is going to take the risk but Sam Prey at 12 was like “Okay this seems like a perfect draft and stash choice for us.” The potential this kid has is clear however a lot of teams probably felt a bit afraid like they were with Michael Porter Jr a couple of years ago similarly to Nicola’s knee problems Porter had back issues at a young age which led to him sliding down to Denver at only the 14th pick despite him being dubbed as the top prospect of his class now Nicola Topic started gaining attention at the start of 2023 after his performances at the Euro League’s tournament guard dropped 49 in a single game on top he also added 12 assists and 11 drawn fouls and if you want another fun fact from that special game that put Nicola on the map his last 37 came in the last 16 minutes of the match nba scouts were like “Okay Nicola we see you.” But this was only the beginning after this his stock started to skyrocket the Serbian won the FIA under 18 European Championship in the summer of 23 he not only won he dominated got the MVP showcased his impressive skills on the brightest stage for himself at the time scouts and GMs saw the impressive speed that gets him an insane amount of paint touches per game he was getting to the most coveted spot in basketball with ease using the acceleration changes of pace and direction once he was there Serbin used a variety of different and sometimes weird and tough-l lookinging finishes or just simply going to the foul line on top Topic’s basketball IQ is considered way above his age his reads were just as good as a veteran point guards and his pass is precise natural instincts and incredible size caught the attention the skill made everyone believe however what happened in the next 4 months stunned everybody from October 23 to January 24 Topic was rising in the mock boards every week literally every week his position was higher and there was a good reason for it he dominated the Adriatic League playing against pros in Europe for Mega Basket the same team Nicola Joic also played before the draft in 33 minutes he averaged 18 points seven assists and 50% shooting from the field he was hot from the first game with nobody seeming to find an answer for his combination of size speed and understanding of the game the quickness was just fascinating to watch and it wasn’t only about speed going straight it’s about how the Serion was able to navigate and move around like a snake he barely loses speed changing direction here and that allows him to go coast to coast for two that’s one thing that makes Topic special his team would set picks at half court for Nicola to get advantage in the pick and roll and attack the big who is backing down on top standing at 66 he can simply run into bigs and finish these with a foul also his layup package would almost definitely get a badge in 2K up and unders and his weaker left hand finishes are nothing new from close but also from a bit further away or just look at this small detail he explodes against the big after the switch and finishes from the other side at the last moment this might seem like nothing but it actually is an advanced finish cuz it helps Topic to avoid the block he’s not a huge vertical threat he doesn’t possess that type of athleticism just look at these opportunities in transition dunks were a rarity because those are power layups at best of course the modern NBA is all about the best athletes in the world and a Serbian with a vertical thread would have been a lock for the top pick however some scouts love him because he can score without that just look at this opponents go under he immediately plays a rescreen then a snake dribble against the drop which gives time for the big to seal his man and opens up a freeway to the rim for topic pure class he’s extremely good at utilizing these Gortz screens nicola would simply spam this read in every game if he saw the passive coverage some teams even had to start switching against their [Applause] will but what about his passing you might ask well a seven assist average kind of speak for itself especially when in Europe they are not counted as loosely as they are in the NBA mistakes on empty corner pick and roll coverages by the opponents were immediately punished again that’s where his size helps immensely and why he should be able to transfer this skill to the NBA as well standing at 66 he can see over the help and pass over bigger players in ISOs after switches teams would often pack the driving gaps making it tough for him however top pitch usually made the right decision whether to drive until the end or kick it out i especially love this next read serbian sees the weaker defender he wants in front and calls his own number there are flare screens happening on both sides to occupy the help defenders and on the left there is a mistake on the switch topic wastes no time in throwing this beautiful bullet pass with his left hand without [Applause] hesitation of course after all of these dominant performances he injured his knee yes he came back months later and then reinjured the same knee more severely that and some other weaknesses made him fall in the draft for example although he stands at 66 his wingspan is below his height a disappointing result for NBA teams that doesn’t help him on defense where sometimes you kind of miss more energy from the Serbian but also maybe that was partly because he ran the offense and played basically the entire game 33 minutes out of 40 teams in Europe were keeping distance and going under because he is so quick but also because he was always only around 30% from deep his mechanics are questionable the arc is flat influencing a lot of these misses he has shown he can make it off the dribble and his free throw percentage is high so maybe that’s a sign of optimism but for now there are a lot of question marks looking at recent examples even full-time starters get benched during the playoffs if they can’t make the long ball and OKC just traded a tall point guard who couldn’t shoot to Chicago because he couldn’t be effective next to SGA without the basketball yeah OKC do have a famous shooting coach Chip England in the staff so maybe he can help Topic raise his game to another level also OKC are so stacked so sacked i’m not sure Topic will get a lot of minutes next season there is Shay Jay Dub there’s Lud Dort there’s Caruso Kase Wallace fits in amazingly there’s also Isaiah Joe they all have defined roles already and I’m not sure a guard who needs the ball to be effective can contribute as a role player right away if Topic develops into a solid ball handler for OKC great if he doesn’t I guess that’s fine too because Sam Prey can just flip him over for more picks later and the circle would continue that’s the scariest part about OKC they have the tools to be dominant for years to come what do you guys think about Nicola Topic can he become great for OKC and if you enjoy this video don’t forget to like and subscribe to our channel because that would help us grow faster thanks for watching and I’ll see you in the next

The Oklahoma City Thunder are in the NBA Finals for the second time in franchise history. The scariest part is that they might get even better next season. They have the best young core in the league, the most draft capital, and Serbian Nikola Topic – last year’s lottery selection – waiting to return on the court after an injury. In this video, we analyze what Topic brings to OKC & how he could fit in their scheme.

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