By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Far from ideal, Nikola Topic was set to spend the entire 2024-25 season on the injury list of the Oklahoma City Thunder, since being drafted with the 12th overall pick in June. In rehab since surgery on a torn ACL in his left knee, stemming from the previous season with Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet, he was limited to the sidelines.
With his side preparing for the 2025 NBA Finals presented by YouTube TV, Luguentz Dort revealed significant progress for the 19-year-old Serbian point guard.
“He’s been doing a lot of his recovery stuff, but you can just see the talent and how much more comfortable with the ball. Recently, he started playing with us and be a little more active with us,” Dort updated the status of his teammate during a media session on Sunday, “He’s still getting back from his injury but I can see just how he is comfortable with the ball and the type of player he’s going to be.”
Beyond Topic on track for the 2025-26 campaign, the European pack at the Thunder is headlined by starting center Isaiah Hartenstein. Belgian Ajay Mitchell and French Ousmane Dieng are also on the roster, but shy of the usual rotation for head coach Mark Daigneault.
“You always have to prove yourself again,” said Hartenstein on extending the postseason to the Finals against the Indiana Pacers, “We’re not a team that wants anything given to us. We want to go out, we want to conquer, go out and hunt. For us, it doesn’t matter what happened before.”
Game 1 of a best-of-seven series versus the Pacers is set to be played in Paycom Center on Thursday.