OKC Thunder: 3 key takeaways learned in week one of training camp

OKC Thunder rookie Giddey has a secret weapon:

As noted Josh Giddey enjoyed finally getting an opportunity to play on the same side as SGA as he spent the first few practice sessions on the opposite team. Daigneault noted the ease with which the two were able to play on or off the ball.

With so many playmakers on this young roster, the hope is the OKC Thunder will witness an improvement offensively after finishing last season dead last in that category.

The team’s defense fared much better particularly when SGA was healthy. On the season the Thunder ranked 24th overall but before the All-Star break, they ranked 10th.   Although the offense is the area the club suffered the most last season much of their struggles could be offset often by the club’s defense.

To that end, one area of Giddey’s game where there was uncertainty was how he would stack up on the defensive side of the hardwood. Coach Daigneault immediately noted how impressed he was with his rookie’s ability on that side of the hardwood.

In fact, each of the rookies made an impression on their head coach. Specifically, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl shot the ball extremely well. Tre Mann showcased his ability to be deceptive with the ball but also played well off the ball with the coach calling that particulate aspect of his game shifty.

Moving into the preseason games there will be much more time to tweak what the OKC Thunder are looking to implement this season. They’ll get a full five days between tonight’s match versus the Hornets and Sunday’s contest in Milwaukee.

This practice time is crucial for the club to figure out who meshes the best in various lineups and which players the club may want to feature in specific situations. In particular, who plays the reserve five spot will be an intriguing question since there are at least three or four options who could get the nod depending on small-ball lineups or situations facing prototypical centers.