OKC Thunder: How Tre Mann will thrive in Oklahoma City

The OKC Thunder welcome in a new rookie class after selecting four newbies in the 2021 NBA Draft. Thunder fans barely had time to react to Sam Presti trading away the 16th overall pick before the team was back on the clock with the 18th selection.

Tre Mann heard his name called with that 18th pick, the Florida Guard celebrated being a new member of the Thunder…for about two hours. Then, he went straight to the gym for a midnight workout.

Tre Mann will give OKC Thunder fans things to be excited about

There has been a shift in the prototypical OKC Thunder player. The old joke used to be that Sam Presti would search near and far for the long-athletic non-shooting player that defends while not doing much else but is incredibly raw, selling fans on their upside.

Now? That shift in the OKC Thunder prototype is clear. Sam Presti, Mark Daigneault, and company are on the hunt for long, lengthy, big ball-handling playmakers that can play multiple positions. The phrase “Position-less basketball” is no longer a buzzword in Bricktown, it is a lifestyle.

Tre Mann saw a huge growth spurt entering his sophomore year of college, shooting himself up to 6’5 and allowing him to become slightly more versatile.

Mann represents another area in which Presti has zagged from his previous mold, the Florida product will enter the league as a lethal shooter.

Mann is able to pull up from anywhere on the floor, while still having some bounce and soft touch near the rim.

With his skill set and work ethic, I would be stunned if Mann does not quickly become an OKC Thunder fan favorite.

On the floor, the 20-year-old will be jaw-dropping. We should get our first taste of that this weekend as the OKC Thunder head to Vegas to take on the Detriot Pistons during the NBA Summer League.

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For Thunder fans who have longed for sharpshooters in Oklahoma City, go out and buy a 23 jersey. No, not a throwback Terrance Ferguson jersey, but instead be first in line for Tre Mann’s. He is going to be the apple of your eye.

Mann has Damian Lillard-like range and can get his shot off in a multitude of ways. His shot creation was on full display in college, including in “NBA settings” for the Gators.

In the NBA, you will mostly be in half-court sets and facing man defense, those are two areas where the point guard thrives.

Advanced Analytics Darling

According to Synergy, Mann is very good in the half-court producing nearly a point per possession and against man defense, he poured in .95 points per possession shooting 46-percent from the floor with an eFG% of 41.9-percent. In the halfcourt set, Mann also posted a 14.8-percent assist percentage.

Another common action in the NBA, especially for bench players, is the pick and roll. As the ball handler in that situation, Mann’s offenses put up 0.97 points per possession, as he shot 50-percent from the floor.

When the defense commits to Mann in this action, his team scored over a point per possession (58-percent of the time) showing off his quick decision-making and processing of defenses.

Tre Mann was built for the NBA game, especially with his jump in height. With his growth spurt, it is a good sign that in an NBA weight room, the Florida native can put on more muscle and fill out his frame.

His jump shot off the dribble is silky smooth, as he nailed that shot at a 41.7-percent clip. However, his no dribble jumpers need work as those numbers fall to around an average mark of 33-percent.

The number the OKC Thunder hope progresses the most at the next level is Mann’s catch and shoot percentage while turning in a quality 35-percent if that mark inches closer to his overall 40-percent from three it makes him a dominant running mate next to Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

A surprising strength for Tre Mann

Synergy grades out Mann’s defense as excellent, especially in man-to-man situations, holding the opposition to just 28-percent from the floor.

That rating could be flawed given his nightly assignment was not NBA caliber players which he will see starting Sunday, and especially once October rolls around.

However, even with a slight slide defensively, moving from excelled to good, or even average at the next level with his offensive production still makes Mann an incredible player.

Mark Daigneault has shown an ability to process each player defensively during his time with the Thunder organization, dating back to his OKC Blue tenure.

His size will be a big concern defensively, especially as the Thunder enjoy switching on that end of the floor, but Mann is clearly hideable on that end. He will more than makeup for it on the offensive side of the floor.

How does Tre Mann fit in Oklahoma City? 

Mann adds to a fun guard rotation, and by no means will crack a pretty crowded starting group in year one. However, as Theo Maledon showed an ability to play off-ball some last year, that duo leading the Thunder’s second unit will make all 48 minutes enjoyable for OKC fans.

The decision to rescind Svi Mykhailiuk’s qualifying offer and not bring him back this season was made easier by the Mann selection. As Ty Jerome’s payday creeps around the corner, with how well he played last year, using one of Jerome or Maledon as a potential sweetener in a future trade is also possible if Mann pans out.

Eventually, Mann will be so good that the Thunder will have to find a way to get him starter minutes. In certain matchups, his shot creation and scoring ability will put him in closing lineups.

The Thunder have compiled a good group of perimeter players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, Theo Maleodn, Ty Jerome, Tre Mann, and Josh Giddey making Mark Daigneault’s rotation very interesting to track all year long.

The minute allocation will be a work in progress for the rest of the season and even for the extent of those guards’ tenure in Bricktown. It is a good problem to have for Daigneault if all of these players pan out.