The Oklahoma City Thunder have one of their biggest tests right out of the gate. 

The NBA season is upon us, as Tuesday marks the first day of games across the league. The Oklahoma City Thunder were chosen to help kick off the season and were matched up against their conference rivals, the San Antonio Spurs. 

This is a big game for both teams, as these two are favorites to once again compete for the conference and NBA Title. It will be a good matchup to start the season and could reveal just how the Thunder’s season will go. 

This preseason has been a small sneak peek for OKC’s season, but with key players having limited minutes, the Thunder don’t know for sure how their roster will stack up against the rest of the league. With Oklahoma City starting its season against the best of the best, the team will see what all they need to work on. 

There are a lot of questions as OKC goes into this season, but they will be answered quickly. For one, Oklahoma City will be wondering if its young core will be able to stack up against title contenders and help the team as the season goes on, and they are likely to be thrown into the fire on opening night. 

Rookies Aday Mara and Bennett Stirtz have showcased that they can take over a game, but the regular season is bound to be a whole different animal compared to the five preseason games Oklahoma City participated in. For example, Mara could be tasked with holding down the middle against the likes of Victor Wembanyama, and Stirtz could be tasked with guarding either of the Spurs' young guards, Stephon Castle or Dylan Harper. 

Additionally, there have been struggles in the preseason that have raised concerns for this upcoming season. The Thunder have had trouble taking care of the basketball in the past couple of games, and if this issue continues, it will be a long season. 

OKC has also had trouble shooting the ball from deep recently, which is an issue that can’t be present against the Spurs, with sharpshooter Devin Vassell and even Wembanyama able to light it up from deep. 

The Thunder have found ways to win in the past and are hoping to do so starting next week as the season kicks off. This game will showcase what direction the Thunder are set for this year and could say if they have a real shot at winning it all.