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Five takeaways from Thunder preseason opener against Houston

By Tony Heim

TULSA, OK- OCTOBER 3: Raymond Felton #2 of the OKC Thunder handles the ball against Chris Paul #3 of the Houston Rockets during the preseason game on October 3, 2017 at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Shane Bevel/NBAE via Getty Images)
TULSA, OK- OCTOBER 3: Raymond Felton #2 of the OKC Thunder handles the ball against Chris Paul #3 of the Houston Rockets during the preseason game on October 3, 2017 at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Shane Bevel/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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TULSA, OK- OCTOBER 3: Jerami Grant #9 of the OKC Thunder goes for the lay up during the preseason game against the Houston Rockets on October 3, 2017 at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Shane Bevel/NBAE via Getty Images)
TULSA, OK- OCTOBER 3: Jerami Grant #9 of the OKC Thunder goes for the lay up during the preseason game against the Houston Rockets on October 3, 2017 at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Shane Bevel/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Checking in on OKC prospects

We’re going a different route with this slide. The best part about the preseason is the opportunity to see the players the Thunder are grooming in the G-League. A couple guys stood out, including my guy Daniel Hamilton.

Terrance Ferguson: The Tulsa kid was the first player off the bench in his hometown/NBA preseason debut. He didn’t disappoint. Ferguson scored 8 points on 2-4 shooting including 3-4 from the free throw line. He’s somehow skinnier than Alex Abrines, but that doesn’t deter him from going right at grown men on both ends of the court. The 19-year old is nowhere near NBA caliber just yet, but the future is sky-high for Ferguson.

Daniel Hamilton: Throw out the 27.3% shooting percentage – Hamilton is raw on the offensive end. I want to direct you to the five rebounds, including four offensive rebounds, from the Thunder’s future combo guard. Hamilton plays with Westbrook-like energy, and at 6’7 he’s got the size to be a matchup nightmare for point guards. He still needs time to refine his dribbling and shooting stroke; that’s why he’s on a two-way contract this season.

Josh Huestis: This is the year for Josh Huestis to get playing time. For one Billy Donovan can’t fathom inserting Kyle Singler into a game at this point. In all serious though, Huestis deserves the chance. The frustrating thing is Huestis played most of his time against the Houston reserves-reserves. We have to see what Huestis is made of. Is he a stretch four off the bench? Or is he a European player? Tonight didn’t help us figure that out.

Dakari Johnson: Johnson had a tough time tonight. He struggled against the speed of the NBA in his first appearance, but that shouldn’t deter us just yet. It’s obvious that Billy Donovan’s plan is to play smaller and more athletic, so Johnson will be used more situationally this year. As long as he continues to work on his footwork on both ends of the court he could be a solid piece for the Thunder in a year.

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