Key October dates that you need to know for the Thunder

On Thursday, ESPN's "NBA Today" announced the Oklahoma City Thunder's 2024–25 season schedule. The team's season will tip off with a nationally televised game on October 24, following a slate of preseason games.

After an offseason loaded with storylines and building anticipation for the 82-game sprint, the upcoming season promises to be memorable. Here are the key dates and intriguing storylines to monitor during the season's opening month.

Opening night on October 24

The Thunder will start their season with a bang, facing former Thunder point guard and league MVP Russell Westbrook and the Denver Nuggets. This matchup boasts a galore of headlines:

• A matchup between the top two seeds from last year
• 2024 NBA MVP Nikola Jokic vs. MVP runner-up Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
• How will Westbrook's role with his new team play out?
• Will the Thunder use Alex Caruso to defend Jamal Murray?

What to watch for:

Opening night always comes with jitters. After an unforgettable offseason, the Thunder stepped right into the national TV spotlight against the NBA champions from two years ago. How will they respond? What message will they send to a national audience? This will be the perfect night to set the tone for the season.

The second game of the season

It's safe to say that the blue and orange will have a busy slate to start the year. After a Game 1 matchup against Jokic and co., OKC gets its first date with ex-Thunder star Josh Giddey. The 21-year-old was sent packing at the end of June, returning the Thunder defensive ace Alex Caruso.

On October 26, Giddey will receive the opportunity to get the first laugh against his former team. The game will feature a couple of intriguing headlines:

• Giddey vs. his old teammates: who leaves the more significant imprint on the game?
• OKC can go for two confidence-boosting wins to start the season 2-0
• How will the Thunder defend the new Bulls guard?

What to watch for:

In the first matchup between the two sides, how will Giddey approach his teammates before the game, during a dead ball, and after the final buzzer sounds? From all indications, there are no harsh feelings, with Thunder Big Man expressing his support for the 21-year-old over the summer and wishing him the best.

Regarding the hardwood action, the Aussie is expected to be Chicago's starting point guard next season. Watching the playmaker take the keys to the offense and orchestrate the game's pace as his team's primary decision-maker will be intriguing. As a still-ascending floor general, Giddey will face a big test against OKC's forceful defensive unit. If he can rise to the occasion, it'll be a massive tone-setter throughout the year.

The first national TV home game

On Wednesday, October 30, the Thunder will host Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs. This is OKC's first nationally televised home game and Chet vs. Wemby, part 1.

This matchup is one of the headliners of the 2024–25 season. As the top two vote-getters for the 2024 Rookie of the Year award, last season was just the tip of the iceberg for this budding rivalry. The two big men go back to their teenage years, battling each other for the crown and jockeying to be the future face of the sport. Whoever wins Game 1 between these two will send a reverberating message throughout the association. Here are the main headlines:

• Part I: Chet vs. Wemby — who takes Game 1?
• Chris Paul meets his former teammate and mentee, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
• Can the Spurs be a factor in the West?

What to watch for:

How will the opposing coaches elect to deploy Holmgren and Wembanyama? Will we see the 7-footers matched against one another throughout most of the game? Or will their minutes be staggered to conserve some fresh legs for the end of the contest?

Losing the ROTY award to his star counterpart had to have been a stinger for the Thunder center. Look for him to play with a chip on his shoulder in his first jab at the Spurs star.

Remember SGA vs. Chris Paul. As the new orchestrator in San Antonio, Paul may showcase a good deal of his timeless table-setting, daring the Thunder to stop the pick-and-roll. His relationship with Shai is always fun to catch up with. Look out for the two guards to mingle between dead balls, timeouts, and after the game.

We will cover Oklahoma City's November key dates in a future article. Stay tuned.

Related: Andre Roberson breaks down what went wrong with the 2017 Thunder