Down the stretch of the Thunder’s preseason opener, Billy Donovan went with an intriguing lineup – one that may see the floor come the regular season, but featured an eclectic mix of experience and youth, along with athleticism and savvy. Exactly what Donovan and company were looking for during preseason mix-and-match.
It was a Thunder group featuring a 14-year veteran in reserve point guard Raymond Felton, forward Jerami Grant, backup center Nerlens Noel and then 20-year old Terrance Ferguson and 19-year old Hamidou Diallo. Clashing against All-Star Center Andre Drummond, a rising, physical forward in Stanley Johnson and few other veteran Pistons starters, the Thunder youngsters hung in there and made Wednesday night’s preseason opener a high-intensity, competitive battle for all 48 minutes.