OKC's Nikola Topic has Potential, it Might Just Take Some Time

NBA Summer League came and went, but there are some valuable things Oklahoma City Thunder fans can take away from the slate. One of the more important things to watch for was Nikola Topic's impact — the franchise's incoming rookie who missed all of last season with an injury.

It wasn't the prettiest stretch of play from Topic, but that's to be expected. He's still a raw player, coming in at just 19 years old and going 18 months without playing organized basketball games. Still, he gave us a glimpse at what he could bring to the table for Oklahoma City.

The rookie's finest performance came in a win against the Brooklyn Nets, in which he dropped 18 points, six assists, four rebounds and a steal on 7-of-18 shooting from the field. His scoring wasn't always efficient, but in this game, the volume was quite impressive. Plus, he knocked down 2-of-6 attempts from behind the arc.

Topic is notably a strong playmaker. He was one of the best from the entire Summer League period, despite turnovers being an issue at times. That's something that will come with more experience as he continues to get a feel for the NBA game, and it's clear that he has the tools to become quite the playmaker at one of the Thunder's guard positions.

To unlock the full potential that he has in store, it's going to take a while for Topic. He's young and has a lot of areas in his game that will need refining, especially to get a significant role on a deep Oklahoma City roster. The key to his process is going to be patience.

It's hard to predict how much Topic is going to immediately make an impact this year, but getting him solid enough reps is going to be crucial for his career moving forward. The Thunder would certainly like him to be a big part of its roster — most importantly when the new long-term extensions kick in — so it will have to start his development early.