OKC Thunder: Tre Mann surprised by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s speed

As Media Day continued for the OKC Thunder the quartet of rookies were making their first appearance at the podium since their introductory press conference. On Tuesday, September 28th they’ll lace up their shoes to experience their first training camp.

Starting October 4th the Thunder will tip-off their preseason in the first of four matches that’ll feature a game versus last season’s stand-out rookie LaMelo Ball and his Hornets, the defending champs, and a pair of games against the reigning MVP Nikola Jokic Denver Nuggets.

In his annual preseason press conference, Thunder GM, Sam Presti on Friday, spoke about the value of the Summer League and the development of the young players on the roster.

"“Summer League, I think, is helpful because it’s the one opportunity that you see some competition in over the summer, but the first six days of practice will be equally as valuable. The value of the summer league, in my opinion, is the camaraderie that gets built, the relationships that can begin to get formed, the lead-up and the practice out there.”"

OKC Thunder Tre Mann was surprised by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s speed

Tre Mann was one of the four selections made by Sam Presti at the 2021 draft. The OKC Thunder selected the 20-year old Florida guard with the 18th overall pick.

The rookie played in just two matches in Vegas at Summer League before he was shut down for personal reasons. While he averaged nine points per game, he struggled from the field shooing 24 percent on an average of 14 attempts per tilt.

Where Mann made his mark was in providing four rebounds. dishing three assists and averaging a steal and a block per contest in the Vegas Summer circuit.

Now, the young playmaking, shot-creating guard will begin his NBA career with six straight practices before his NBA preseason debut. However, some of the members of the squad have already started practicing at the facilities in the last few weeks.

Mann got to play a few runs with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder’s max contract star and was shocked by how fast SGA was in person. When you watch him on TV “it looks like Shai is moving slow, but guarding him, you realize how fast and shifty he is.”

The Florida product says on the floor, he is soaking up SGA’s crafty nature and poise, which will help the rookie in the long run who looks to have the ball in his hands in this league.