NBA Summer League: OKC Thunder lose nail biter to launch Vegas tourney

Player Grades

OKC Starting Rotation:

Daniel Hamilton was very much meh tonight. He was not good, he was not bad, just there. He committed a costly turnover with 23-seconds left which lead to the Hornets taking a two point lead.

That was one of Hamilton’s 5-turnovers. He turned in 11-points, a team high 12-rebounds, and added 8-assists. That is a common stat-line for a guy who lead the G-League in triple doubles. His rebounding ability popped tonight, but nothing else really did. Hamilton has not progressed in the ball handling department like one would have hoped.

Terrance Ferguson was the biggest disappointment in this game. He also had some of the highest expectations. Ferguson committed a turnover, fouled a 3-point shooter in the act,  and air-balled an open mid-range jumper. He did not look like his usual, confident self on the floor tonight. Which is strange.

When sharing the hardwood with Russell Westbrook, Paul George and the likes Ferguson has tons of swagger. In the NBA Summer League, he looked nervous, even scared. That issue may just be chalked up to first game jitters, and he could very well impress tomorrow vs the Nets. T-Ferg posted 7-points on 22-percent shooting. The guard did bring down 5-rebounds though.

Donning the number 35, Dozier probably caught a lot of people’s eye on TV. However, it was not just his number but his play on the court that caught my attention. While the stat-line in his 25-minutes might not leap off the page–or screen–at you, he passed the eye test.

With 12-points on 55-percent shooting, 6-rebounds Dozier played well. The most impressive part does not fully show up on the stat sheet. Dozier spent his time defensively flying all over the floor. Switching and rotating, and contesting without fouling. P.J. heard the whistle just once against him all game.

Rashawn Thomas stole my heart today. The Oklahoma City native and OKC Blue talent, is spending this summer trying to crack the Thunder’s roster. Today, he turned heads. Thomas finished strong at the rim every chance he got. The forward converted and-1’s, moved great without the basketball, and attacked the rim fearlessly.

He was an impact on defense both down-low, and around the perimeter. He far and away was the biggest OKC standout in the first summer league game. Thomas posted a team high 23-points, hauled in 2-rebounds, and on defense added four steals and a pair of blocks! Thomas shot 62-percent from the field.

In his fourth summer league tour, Dakari Johnson played extremely well. Yes, he is still slow, no he can not handle the ball or stroke it from deep. But, Johnson had some strong finishes around the rim along with some soft touch. That soft touch is something that we rarely saw from Johnson to this point. He used his big frame tonight to bully his way down low and attack the rim. Unlike Ferguson, Johnson’s personality came out.

He talked some trash to Hornets big men, and screamed for joy after big plays. He no longer looked nervous, or shy, instead he seemed in control. While that is easy to do when you are one of the biggest, and most experienced guys on the floor it was still impressive. He turned in 20-points, to go with his 8-rebounds.

The only thing standing in the way of Dakari and an A+ today, was the fouls. Johnson committed 5-fouls in 25-minutes. Johnson also lost the ball on the final play, when the Thunder had a chance to go ahead. That was his fifth turnover.