Mara is set to contend with Jaylin Williams for the backup center job behind Isaiah Hartenstein during training camp.
Reed could have a hard time cracking San Antonio's Opening Night rotation.
According to Bryan Toporek of Forbes, the Thunder's decision to part with Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins and Luguentz Dort creates a clearer path for McCain to earn immediate rotation minutes.
According to Bryan Toporek of Forbes, Oklahoma City's offseason roster shakeup opened additional opportunities in the backcourt after the departures of Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins and Luguentz Dort.
According to Bryan Toporek of Forbes, Oklahoma City's offseason salary-saving moves resulted in the departures of Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins and Luguentz Dort.
Gilgeous-Alexander's outlook remains mostly the same despite Oklahoma City's busy offseason, according to Bryan Toporek of Forbes.
Holmgren could be in line for an even larger offensive role after Oklahoma City's offseason roster shakeup, according to Bryan Toporek of Forbes.
According to Bryan Toporek of Forbes, Oklahoma City's decision to trade Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins and Luguentz Dort was driven largely by financial considerations, creating a larger opportunity for Wallace entering 2026-27.
Jones Garcia (ankle) agreed to a two-way contract with the Spurs on Wednesday, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.com.
Oweh (lower leg) didn't play in Sunday's 108-90 Summer League loss to the Nets.
Game 1 needed overtime to get over the total, and Game 2 was a given that the game would go over after a 31-31 first quarter. I think that the Spurs will bring the same type of intensity in Game 3 as they did in Game 2, where they played extremely well, hitting 49% of their shots from the field and making 40% from 3-point range. Turnovers were the only thing that stopped them, even though they also withstood having 21 turnovers in Game 1. They've gone over the total three straight times, and I think they make it four straight. The over is the play.
FanDuel. With Jalen Williams doubtful to suit up, another Thunder role player who should see more run is Jared McCain. The former Sixer recorded 26 minutes in Game 2 as an important spark plug off the bench, after Williams went down. More of a spot up threat from long range when playing alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell, McCain took nine threes in Game 2 out of his 14 total shots. When playing between 14 and 28 minutes this season, McCain has at least two three pointers made in 16/24 games as a member of the Thunder, including 4/5 in the playoffs.
DraftKings. Trying to figure out the rotation for the Thunder role players is about as fun as a trip to the dentist. OKC has utilized an 11-man rotation for the first two games of this series - almost unheard of in the playoffs. Cason Wallace has quietly carved out a sizeable role, playing 23 and 25 regulation minutes in the first two games. With Jalen Williams questionable, I like Wallace to continue to see 22-26 minutes, with upside, as he’s used as the primary defender on Stephon Castle (and the other Spurs ball-handlers). Wallace has made the most of his playing time with 14 and 20 PRA the last two games, and clearing this line in five of the last seven.
Both the Spurs and Thunder are two of the top four teams in first-quarter scoring this season, with the Spurs second at 31.4 PPG, and the Thunder fourth at 30.5 PPG. So far in this series, Game 1 saw 54 total points and Game 2 saw 62. The last three games of the Spurs-Wolves series also flew over 53.5.
Chet Holmgren is averaging just 10.5 points per game in six games vs. the Spurs this season, going over 14.5 just once. He got to 13 in Game 2, with 7 of the points coming in one spurt with Victor Wembanyama on the bench. Holmgren has not attempted more than 10 shots in any game vs. the Spurs this season and is shooting 39.6% from the field, way below his 55.7% season average. In 11 career games vs. Wemby and the Spurs, Holmgren is averaging 12.7 PPG.
Victor Wembanyama averaged 29 minutes per game during the regular season. Over his last 10 playoff games, he has averaged 33 minutes. That allowed him to grab at least 15 rebounds six times during that span. He posted 27 combined rebounds and assists with Game 1 against the Thunder going to double overtime. In Game 2, he had 23 combined over 37 minutes. With the home crowd behind him and the Spurs trying to go up 2-1 in the series, I think Wembanyama plays around 35 minutes and has enough opportunities to hit this over.
Despite playing 41 minutes in Game 1, Chet Holmgren only finished with eight points and eight rebounds. He produced just 19 combined points, rebounds and assists in Game 2, continuing his struggles against the Spurs. In four regular season games against them, he averaged 10.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 0.8 assists. He did not top 24 combined points, rebounds and assists in any of those four matchups. With Victor Wembanyama controlling the paint, look for Holmgren to continue to struggle.
Julian Champagnie was atrocious in Game 2, going 1 of 7 from deep and finishing with eight points. However, he is still shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc this postseason. With Dylan Harper and De'Aaron Fox dealing with injuries. I like Champagnie to get plenty of scoring opportunities. He was a much better shooter at home during the regular season (46.2 percent overall compared to 41.8 percent on the road).
