The Thunder opened their season the right way on Tuesday night, taking down the San Antonio Spurs 116-104 and getting a measure of revenge against the same team that had knocked them out of the Western Conference Finals a year ago.
Even with that strong start, the night also raised a familiar concern for Oklahoma City: Jalen Williams still doesn’t look settled as a shooter after wrist surgery.
Since undergoing an operation to repair a torn scapholunate ligament in his right wrist, Williams’ jumper has lagged behind the rest of his game. In 33 games during 2025-26, he shot 67.1 percent in the restricted area, but only 37.3 percent from mid-range and 29.9 percent from three. Those marks were a clear drop from the previous season, when he hit 45.9 percent from the mid-range and 36.5 percent from beyond the arc.
That uneven touch appears to have followed him into 2026-27. Against the Spurs, Williams managed just 25.0 percent from mid-range. He did knock down one of his two attempts from deep, but he also passed up perimeter looks, including some clean ones.
It’s still only one game into an 82-game season, so there’s room for Williams to find his rhythm. But for now, the shooting troubles that showed up after the surgery are still hanging around.
While Williams was searching for his stroke, Jared McCain looked fully in rhythm.
With Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins moved out this past summer, attention had mostly gone to Cason Wallace and Ajay Mitchell as the players most likely to benefit. McCain forced his way into the conversation with a scorching opener that made it tough for coach Mark Daigneault to keep him on the bench.
McCain played 22 minutes off the bench, tied for the second-most among reserves, and finished with 20 points on 77.8 percent shooting. He also buried six of his eight three-point tries.
That shot-making mattered most after halftime, when Oklahoma City was trying to keep San Antonio’s brief push from gaining any traction. If Tuesday night is any indication, McCain may end up being a major weapon in his first full season with the Thunder.
In Other News...
Thunder Face An Early Test As Fans Await Key Lineup Answers
The Thunder get an early measuring-stick matchup Thursday night when Denver comes to the Paycom Center, giving Oklahoma City a chance to back up its season-opening win over San Antonio with another statement against one of the Wests established powers. It is still early, but games like this tend to reveal a little more about where a team stands, especially when the opponent is just beginning its own season and the atmosphere at home is set to feel more like a postseason preview than a routine October stop.
The bigger question for Oklahoma City is not just the opponent, but the available pieces. The injury report already has a few moving parts on both sides, and the projected lineups suggest both teams may have to adjust on the fly as they sort through availability and rotation decisions. Fans tuning in will get the full stage on national television, but the real intrigue is whether the Thunder can keep the momentum going while waiting for some of their key lineup answers to settle in. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Opener Has An Unexpected Subplot Tied To The Thunder
The Nuggets season opener against Oklahoma City already had a little extra edge, and now it comes with another subplot for Thunder fans to track. Denver has listed Spencer Jones as questionable because of bilateral hamstring injury management, while guard Julian Strawther is out with a left knee sprain, adding another layer of uncertainty to a game that will open the regular season spotlight between two teams with plenty of familiarity.
For the Thunder, the injury picture is familiar in its own way, with Otega Oweh, Thomas Sorber and Nikola Topic all sidelined as they continue recovering from surgeries. Jones is the name to watch here, especially given how this matchup has taken on added offseason context, and his status could affect how Denver lines up when the ball goes up for a game that already had plenty of attention around it. [Read more 🡒]
Aday Mara Faces A Brutal Thunder Test In Home Opener
Aday Maras home opener arrives with a very different kind of assignment, and for a rookie trying to carve out a role, the timing could not be much tougher. After showing some defensive promise in his previous game against Victor Wembanyama, Mara heads into a matchup with the Denver Nuggets and Nikola Jokic, a far more established test for a young center still learning what NBA possessions demand on a nightly basis.
Maras last outing offered a glimpse of why Oklahoma City is interested in his development, but it also came with a reminder that opportunity can be fleeting. His minutes were limited, and there is no guarantee he gets the same kind of runway against Denver, where the Thunder may need to balance his growth against the realities of facing one of the leagues most demanding stars. [Read more 🡒]