The Thunder have built this pre-season opener in Tulsa as an evaluation night, and their whole regular rotation is sitting. New Orleans have no injuries listed and no reason to hold anyone back. My read is simple: for every minute the Pelicans' core is on the floor, it's a first team against a training-camp roster. The market still treats this as close to even.
Mark Daigneault confirmed that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, Cason Wallace and Alex Caruso will all sit. OKC are on the front end of a back-to-back they scheduled on purpose, and that group plays the Bucks the next night. Nikola Topic and Thomas Sorber are out injured as well.
That hits harder than usual because Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe all left in the offseason. Daigneault said the night belongs to Ajay Mitchell, Jared, K-Rich, the rookies, the two-way players and the Exhibit 10 guys. He called it a critical evaluation point. Those players will compete for roles, but no established rotation player will be on the court for OKC.
The Pelicans' schedule is open, with their next game two days later in Miami. Their injury listing for this game is empty, and the local previews are all about how new coach Jamahl Mosley uses Zion Williamson and Derik Queen. Dejounte Murray and Trey Murphy are expected to be part of that group too.
The Thunder's lopsided head-to-head record and their name were built by the players who are resting, and the game isn't even in their usual arena. Take those away and I think the New Orleans regulars should build enough of a cushion in their minutes for the benches to play out.
