The Oklahoma City Thunder will enter the 2024-25 season as a serious title contender. After a first-seed finish last year, they are at the infancy stages of a championship window.
Even though he will miss the entire season, excitement remains around Nikola Topic. The 19-year-old tore his ACL in May, which plummeted his draft stock from a potential top-five pick to the No. 12 selection by OKC. He will spend his first season as a redshirt as he recovers from knee surgery.
To prepare for the 2024-25 season, Thunder Wire will list out three predictions for all 17 Thunder players. Here are three predictions for Topic:
Topic works on his 3-point shot, trends on social media
This could determine his success rate in the NBA. The 3-point shot didn’t fall at the international level, but being an 80-plus percent free-throw shooter indicates potential. Topic will have an entire season to rework his outside shot. He can start as soon as now. When Chet Holmgren missed his first season, social media clips highlighted his determination to improve. He worked on his jumper despite being limited by a scooter or boot. As Topic gets healthier, he’ll likely spend more time in Thunder practices. Expect to see videos of him trending because he’s knocking down several 3-pointers.
Topic is cleared for 5v5 basketball
This will be the biggest goal for Topic to reach. As he recovers from a partially torn ACL, he will clear hurdles. He’ll go from a nonparticipant to a light participant to slowly getting back in the groove of things. The final one will be his clearance on five-on-five basketball. Once that happens, he’s fully recovered and should be ready to return to action. This milestone won’t be reached until late or after the season ends. ACL tears usually take nine months to recover, but the Thunder will slowplay it. Once it occurs though, it’d be a cause for celebration.
Topic confirms summer league participation
Once he recovers, Topic’s first chance to play for the Thunder will be in the 2025 summer league. The 19-year-old is likely to suit up for the event. It’s a great opportunity to get live reps in a low-consequential environment against lesser competition. Holmgren participated in the 2023 summer league when he recovered from his Lisfranc injury. If Topic dominates the competition, excitement will multiply tenfold for both the Thunder and the 19-year-old. OKC is already a title contender and Topic’s potential is a wildcard in all of this.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: 3 predictions for Nikola Topic in 2024-25 season