Bennett Stirtz hits six triples, scores 26 points

Monday’s game will be the third that Caruso has missed since spraining his right ankle during Oklahoma City’s October 26 win over the Suns. Injuries have forced the Thunder to go deep into their bench, with rookie Bennett Stirtz playing 25 minutes or more in each of the last three games.

Less than 24 hours after dropping a career-high 30 points on the Suns, Mitchell is on the Thunder injury report with a sprained right ankle. Given the absences Oklahoma City is already dealing with, Mitchell’s absence would significantly affect the team’s rotation. Bennett Stirtz, who played 25 minutes on Monday, could be asked to take on a larger role, possibly as a starter.

Coming off a 13-point effort in Sunday’s blowout loss to the Warriors, Stirtz had his best game of the summer on Tuesday. The 16th overall pick in last month’s draft shot 50 percent from the field, including a 6-of-10 night from inside the arc. Stirtz committed four turnovers, but the Thunder were likely encouraged by his overall performance. Given Oklahoma City’s perimeter depth, achieving fantasy relevance as a rookie will be challenging for Stirtz. However, he has the scoring and playmaking ability needed to compete for a bench role when training camp opens in the fall.

After struggling from deep for most of Oklahoma City’s three games in Salt Lake City, Stirtz was a solid 3-of-8 from beyond the arc on Friday. The four turnovers weren’t great, but he generally took good care of the basketball as a collegian, so there isn’t much to worry about there. Given Oklahoma City’s perimeter depth, they won’t have to ask too much of Stirtz immediately. As a result, he’s likely to be more valuable in dynasty leagues than redraft leagues.

After attempting six shots in his first summer appearance with the Thunder, Stirtz was more aggressive on Monday. Unfortunately, he shot 1-of-7 from beyond the arc in a rather forgettable effort. His chances of offering any fantasy value next season depend on injuries to Thunder guards ahead of him in the rotation. If Nikola Topić continues to struggle with health issues, that may be where Stirtz’s minutes come from during his rookie campaign.

Stirtz didn’t have a standout debut for OKC, but he had some fun flashes and showcased why the Thunder traded up to get him. As an older rookie, he should be ready to contribute from day one as a shooter and playmaker, and he was also able to force some turnovers in the loss. Stirtz won’t pop in fantasy in year one, but he should be a reliable ball handler for them at times.

The one constant throughout Stirtz’s college career was his head coach, Ben McCollum. The talented guard played two seasons for McCollum at Northwest Missouri State before both moved to Drake ahead of the 2024-25 season, and then onto Iowa. Last season, Stirtz averaged 19.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.5 three-pointers, shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 84.8 percent from the foul line. In addition to being one of the best shooters in this class, Stirtz is a capable playmaker. He’ll provide additional perimeter depth in Oklahoma City, which gave up the No. 17 pick and two future second-round picks to get the deal done. However, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander running the show, Stirtz’s fantasy ceiling in redraft leagues will be limited.