Charlotte Hornets vs Oklahoma City Thunder Prediction & Match Preview - October 4th, 2021 | NBA Preseason 2021-22
The Oklahoma City Thunder will take on the Charlotte Hornets in their first preseason game of the 2021-22 NBA season. Both the teams are two of the youngest in the league, and will likely feature their best players in this preseason game.
Match Details
Fixture - Charlotte Hornets vs Oklahoma City Thunder | NBA Preseason 2021-22.
Date & Time - Monday, October 4th, 2021; 8:00 PM ET (Tuesday, October 5th, 5:30 AM IST).
Venue - Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK.
Oklahoma City Thunder Preview
![Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2020-21 NBA season [Source: USA Today]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/10/54ffb-16332556836672-800.jpg)
The Oklahoma City Thunder are likely going to continue their rebuilding mission. They drafted four players in the 2021 NBA Draft - Josh Giddey (6th), Tre Mann (18th), Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (32nd) and Aaron Wiggins (55th). They could have selected talented center Alperen Sengun as well, but traded his rights to the Houston Rockets in exchange for two future picks.
GM Sam Presti has accumulated a plethora of draft picks till as far as 2027. So the Oklahoma City Thunder aren't expected to be playoff contenders anytime soon. A lot of the attention will be on Josh Giddey, the sixth overall pick by the Thunder, as the gifted Australian playmaker establishes himself in the league.
Moreover, Presti mentioned in his preseason press conference that all the Thunder players are vaccinated. You can view the Oklahoma City Thunder's roster and preseason schedule here.
Plan ahead for our preseason home opener Monday night! Upload a photo of your vaccine card or negative test to OKCcheckin.com or to the Thunder Mobile App 馃摬
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Key Player - Shai Gilegeous-Alexander
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, commonly known as SGA, played just 35 games last year, and practically missed the entire second half of the season. He is likely itching to get back on the floor and make his case for an All-Star selection this season.
GM Sam Presti said in his preseason press conference that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will enter the 2021-22 NBA season with 'no limitations at all'. He added about how the team managed SGA's torn plantar fascia well, and sat him out for the entire second half, saying:
"One of the reasons why I think he's in the position he is and looks the way he does right now is we took a really conservative approach last season, as everybody knows, to make sure he wasn't dealing with this on and off."
Presti applauded SGA's dedication and mentality, calling him one of the rising stars in the NBA.
.@shaiglalex wants to be one of the best to ever do it. 馃檶 https://t.co/lrhQRYgMTj
Oklahoma City Thunder Predicted Lineup
G - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, G - Lugentz Dort, F - Darius Bazley, F - Aleksej Pokusevski, C - Isaiah Roby.
Charlotte Hornets Preview
The Charlotte Hornets were on the cusp of a playoff berth last season. If their players hadn't gotten injured, they wouldn't have fallen so low in the standings.
They got eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in the NBA play-in tournament. However, the Hornets are extremely young, and can afford to bear a few losses. The addition of LaMelo Ball was huge for the team, as he blended in perfectly with the other players like Terry Rozier, Gordon Hayward and Miles Bridges.
The team bade farewell to their center Cody Zeller after eight years, and acquired Mason Plumlee in the offseason. Bismack Biyombo also didn't return to the team. The Charlotte Hornets drafted James Bouknight (11th), Kai Jones (19th), JT Thor (37th) and Scottie Lewis (56th) in the 2021 NBA Draft.
James Bouknight on teaming with LaMelo Ball in the @hornets backcourt: "we're going to be box office" 馃嵖馃幀 https://t.co/tiwT8AXcLO
Key Player - LaMelo Ball
LaMelo Ball will likely make a case for his first ever All-Star selection this season. The 20-year-old became a sensation last season, as he ran away with the Rookie of the Year award.
Ball led all rookies in every stat category except total blocks and blocks per game. Charlotte Hornets head coach James Borrego is expected to give Ball maximum minutes in the upcoming preseason games.
LaMelo Ball made the transition from playing basketball overseas to the NBA last season look fairly easy, breezing his way to rookie of the year honors. Hornets coach James Borrego wants the point guard to take the next step. apne.ws/dtqAvm9
Charlotte Hornets Predicted Lineup
G - LaMelo Ball, G - Kai Jones, F - Miles Bridges, F - PJ Washington, C - Kai Jones.
Hornets vs Thunder Match Prediction
As mentioned earlier, both the teams are two of the youngest in the NBA and will feature their best players in the preseason game.
However, the Charlotte Hornets have a slight edge over the Oklahoma City Thunder, because of the few veterans on their roster; the latter is filled with rookies and inexperienced players. Nevertheless, the point guard battle between LaMelo Ball and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should be a delight to watch.
Where to watch the Hornets vs Thunder game?
The Charlotte Hornets vs Oklahoma City Thunder game will have local coverage on the Thunder app. The match can also be live-streamed with an NBA League Pass.
Bally Sports will carry all 82 games for the #Thunder this lets you know the preseason schedule for TV viewing and how to watch Bally. https://t.co/cobdkLXiB2
Fans can tune in to the radio at WWLS 98.1FM OKC and WFNZ 610 AM/102.5 FM to listen to the live commentary.
Also check out: Complete NBA Preseason TV Schedule for 2021