Deonte Burton:
As a 25-year-old player with professional experience overseas, I personally expected Deonte Burton to be one of if not the best player on the Thunders Summer League team this season.
Simply put, Burton is a walking highlight reel. With incredible athleticism and an infectious personality, it’s hard to not get excited for Burton and his potential.
THROW IT DOWN DEONTE pic.twitter.com/mbMtSeqEyn
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) July 9, 2019
Unfortunately, Burton had a lackluster Summer League and didn’t do anything that caught my eye (besides his dunks). Burton averaged 7.5/4.5/2.2 on low efficiency, shooting 36 percent from the field overall and 27.3 percent from behind the arc.
Much like a lot of Thunder players, Burton has incredible athleticism and physical tools but is lacking the consistent and effective jump shot to make him a regular NBA player. This isn’t saying Burton has no shot to consistently crack the Thunders rotation, but I just expected a better showing from a player of his age and professional experience.
Devon Hall:
Devon Hall, the other second-round selection from the 2018 draft for the Thunder, had a disappointing showcase in Vegas.
Devon Hall gives the @okcthunder the lead for good to close out the win on a 10-2 run! #NBASummer pic.twitter.com/XQPugcUfjS
— NBA (@NBA) July 12, 2019
Coming out of college in his senior year, Hall shot 43.2 percent from three on four attempts a game, solidifying himself as one of the best shooters in the class.
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After shooting 34 percent from three in the NBL last season I expected Hall to knock down threes at a high rate in Vegas.
Hall ended up 2-21 from deep throughout the Thunders five games and really struggled to ever get in a rhythm. He did, however, go 11-13 from the line which could indicate that his struggles from the perimeter were a fluke. Hall’s shooting stroke is incredibly pretty and I don’t think that his play in Summer League was indicative of what he can actually do, especially from three.
In February, Hall signed a G-League contract with the OKC Blue giving him another opportunity to showcase his shooting ability which is a skill that the OKC Thunder have desperately been looking for for years.
Sam Presti and Billy Donovan will need to keep an eye on all the youngsters this offseason with a view to development. Come fall when the team reassembles we’ll see if any of this crew take another step toward becoming regular contributors to the varsity lineup.