TITLE: Thunder Rookie Nikola Topic Returns After Year-Long ACL Rehab; Beal Chooses Clippers, Wolves Make G League Hire, Lakers Add Conditioning Lead
SLUG: western-notes-topic-beal-abdelfattah-holsopple
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Oklahoma City, OK — After spending his entire rookie season recovering from surgery on a partially torn left ACL, 2024 lottery pick Nikola Topic finally logged game action for the Thunder in this summer’s NBA Summer League.
“I didn’t play a basketball game for a very long time, and that was really hard,” Topic told The Oklahoman. “But as you go through that process, you learn something about yourself that you didn’t know you had.”
The 6-foot-6 guard appeared in five Summer League contests, averaging 10.8 points, 5.8 assists and 1.8 steals in 27.3 minutes. “Going into a game, sleeping before a game and just everything about it, I feel way more confident,” he added.
Around the West
Clippers: Bradley Beal cited championship aspirations as the main reason for joining Los Angeles. “I need a ring. I want one bad,” he told KMOV’s Tamar Sher. After securing a buyout from Phoenix, the 11-year veteran signed a two-year, $11 million contract with a player option.
Timberwolves: Minnesota will install Mahmoud Abdelfattah as head coach of its G League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves, according to HoopsHype. Abdelfattah will also serve as an assistant coach for USA Basketball’s AmeriCup qualifying squad. He most recently guided Australia’s Sydney Kings.
Lakers: Los Angeles has hired Jeremy Holsopple as head strength and conditioning coach. Formerly the Mavericks’ athletic performance director, Holsopple was honored as the NBA’s top strength and conditioning coach in March 2021.
Source: Hoops Rumors
