The Oklahoma City Thunder are taking on the San Antonio Spurs in the season opener on Tuesday night. What a way to begin the 2026-27 regular season: a rematch of the Western Conference Finals and a tone-setting affair between the two undisputed best teams in the NBA.
These two met 12 times a year ago. When the Spurs proved to be the better team at every turn. The Thunder hope that with a healthy roster they can even the lopsided fight. Despite Oklahoma City being down two of its top five players in the Western Conference Finals a year ago, that series went a full seven games before the Spurs advanced to the NBA Finals on the Thunder's home court at the end of May.
There is no question that despite this truly being the first of 82 games, it is a contest that will stick with both teams. If Oklahoma City once again gets beaten by their Western Conference rival, especially if Chet Holmgren is a disappointment on the floor for what would be the 13th straight time, the narratives will spin out of control. It would create a massive cloud over the Bricktown Ballers season that they just aren't good enough to get past the Spurs –– rightfully and wrongfully –– and a narrative the team wouldn't be able to address until Feb. 11 for the second of just three meetings between these two teams in the regular season.
It goes without saying this will be a massive gmae as the night cap of the NBA's season opening triple header on NBC. Let's dive into the biggest storylines to watch this season.
3 Things to Watch in OKC Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs
1) Chet Holmgren's response on the hardwood to the San Antonio Spurs
There is no one under the microscope more on opening night than Oklahoma City big man Chet Holmgren. The Thunder big man earned third-team All-NBA honors a year ago, rightfully so. Against every other matchup, he played at an All-NBA level, including in the first two rounds of the NBA Playoffs. However, 12 times against the team's biggest threat, he wasn't up to snuff. Wembanyama has what appears to be a personal vendetta against Holmgren, a rivalry the Thunder big man hasn't appeared to want any part of or to get too invested in. No matter if the answer is staying the course and just playing better or needing to match Wembanyama's emotional intensity level, the end result has to be an improved performance from the Gonzaga product.
Win or lose for the Thunder, the evaluation of Holmgren will be harsh and heavy-handed if he doesn't play at a high level. The bad news for Holmgren? Even if he plays really well, he will be met with "It's just one game" talking points when he wakes up on Wednesday. But that is better than the alternative. If Holmgren can't figure out how to play even average against San Antonio that spells trouble for Oklahoma City long term.
2) Does Aday Mara and Victor Wembanyama share the floor together at any point?
No, no one should be claiming that Mara is a Wembanyama stopper. That is no knock on the rookie big man, but no one in the world is a Wembanyama stopper. He is too good of a player. But with only three games to collect data points on this matchup, do the Thunder roll out the Michigan product against the Spurs superstar to see how it looks? This scribe thinks the answer is yes.
Mara at 7-foot-3 and 255 pounds might be able to keep Wembanyama away from the rim. That isn't a fool proof plan. Wembanyama can absolutely make Mara miserable by scoring over the top of him on the outside. However, those shots leave the door open for shot variants in ways that allowing the 7-foot-4 guard like big man get to the rim.
3) Can OKC Thunder make life easier on superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander offensively?
Now with the Oklahoma City Thunder playing at full strength, Mark Daigneault will have the chance to blanket the 48 minute contest with multiple ball handlers on the floor at all times if he so chooses. With Gilgeous-Alexander taking on this phenomenal Spurs defense life is hard. Now that he has Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell flanking him, can the Thunder put him in spots to be effective and get easier chances to score the basketball?
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