OKC Thunder observations from Vegas: Who stood out in Summer League?
By Aidan E
With Summer League officially over, let’s take a look at who impressed and who disappointed in Vegas for the OKC Thunder
With the OKC Thunder headed towards a rebuild, summer league has suddenly become an important event for fans to pay attention to.
Oklahoma City finished their stint in Vegas by going 4-1, winning their last four games and narrowly missing the Summer League tournament.
While the OKC Thunder didn’t have any lottery picks on the roster, this was a chance for second-year players like Hamidou Diallo and Kevin Hervey to showcase their talents, as well as rookies Darius Bazley and Luguentz Dort.
My personal rule of thumb regarding the Summer League is quite simple. If you’re a rookie struggling, that’s okay (see Trae Young, Kristaps Porzingis). For second-year players, this is the time to showcase your improvements since year one. If you’re a second-year player that is struggling (see Kris Dunn, Dragan Bender), then you most likely are not ready for the NBA, although there have been a few exceptions such as Buddy Hield.
However, Summer League can at times be misleading, as players who can shoot off the dribble tend to excel in Vegas but it doesn’t always translate to the pros.
Let’s take a deep dive into who impressed, and who disappointed for OKC in Vegas.