The Oklahoma City Thunder are finally back in action.
Following an eventful offseason that saw the team add two more first-round picks to the roster and send multiple rotation players to other teams in trades, OKC had its first preseason game on Tuesday, Oct. 6, beginning the 2026-27 campaign.
The Thunder fell at the hands of the New Orleans Pelicans 116-110 with a number of regular rotation players inactive . Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein and others didn' suit up for Oklahoma City, granting the team's younger players an opportunity to get time on the court.
Rookie guard Bennett Stirtz starred in his first preseason action, scoring a game-high 15 points. Alongside Stirtz, 2026 lottery pick Aday Mara logged a solid performance, as well as rookie two-way signee Josh Dix.
Second-year wing and fellow two-way player Brooks Barnhizer also notched an encouraging performance against New Orleans, finishing with 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists, a block and two turnovers while shooting 4-of-5 from the field, 1-of-1 from 3-point range and 3-of-5 from the free throw line.
In college and as a rookie, one of the 24-year-old's biggest flaws was his inconsistency as a shooter. If the 6-foot-5 forward has turned a corner as a shooter and continues to improve, he could provide value for OKC.
Already a strong rebounder and solid defender, Barnhizer growing into a credible shooter would almost certainly make him a contributor for the Thunder.
As a rookie, Barnhizer averaged 1.7 points and two rebounds while shooting 38% from the field in 8.7 minutes per game across 40 NBA appearances.
Barnhizer also played 11 regular season games with the Oklahoma City Blue, averaging 18.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting 58.5% from the field and 61.9% from beyond the arc on 1.9 attempts per game in the G League.
One performance isn't enough to indicate that Barnhizer's shooting struggles have departed, but given his shooting splits in the G League last season, there is reason for the Thunder to be encouraged by the wing player's potential to be a good enough shooter to get on the court.
OKC selected Barnhizer with the No. 44 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft after the forner Northwestern standout averaged 17.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.1 blocks per game as a senior with the Wildcats.
The Thunder are back in action against Milwaukee on Wednesday, Oct. 7, in Oklahoma City for the team's second preseason game.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/thunder/onsi as Second-Year Wing Logs Strong Performance in OKC Thunder Preseason Opener .
