Nikola Topic turns in best Summer League start in Thunder's win over Nets

USA Today

3 days ago

As the cliche goes, it's not how you start but how you finish. Sign Nikola Topic up as a believer. Through the first half, it felt like we were on our way to another forgettable Summer League outing. It's understandable to be patient with the 19-year-old after he was out for over a year. Eventually, though, you've got to show something.
Topic eventually did. He finished with 18 points on 7-of-18 shooting, six assists and four rebounds. He shot 2-of-6 from 3 and went 2-of-2 on free throws. He also had a steal.
The Oklahoma City Thunder collected a 90-81 Summer League win over the Brooklyn Nets. More importantly, it was the best Topic has looked throughout the entire two-week summer event so far.
One of the things you look for from a young player this early in their career is if they can adjust midgame. It's one thing to dominate throughout a contest or struggle from the jump, but making the right adjustments to salvage a slow start could accelerate a player's progress.
After a shaky first half, Topic did exactly that. He looked like a completely different player in the second half with 14 points. He pushed in transition with a few fastbreak buckets. The 19-year-old showed off some of his passing talents with high-difficulty passes. He formed a bond with Malevy Leons as a rim-runner.
In the clutch, Topic took over with his scoring. Two straight outside buckets and a post-up score flexed what he could do in that department. You saw him gain more confidence as the game progressed. His playmaking got a lot more dicier with deep passes that landed in his teammates' catch radius.
"There's a wisdom to his game that we can see at times. I think we can also see that he's still working his way back and can get frustrated with what's going on," Vegas SL coach Connor Johnson said about Topic. "I think he's a competitor who plays really hard and that's always encouraging."
This was arguably Topic's best Summer League game yet, considering the circumstances. He faced a talented Nets squad with several high-end prospects. Eventually founded a groove and stepped up big time as the Thunder kept their distance in the final moments.
"I feel good now. It was a little bit rough at the beginning. Especially at the back-to-back. It was pretty weird that I had to play back-to-back in real games," Topic said. "I don't know, it was weird. I didn't know what to do. Sleep, take a nap. It was really weird, but I'm getting used to it."