Thunderous Intentions
Fansided

OKC Thunder: 3 key takeaways from first preseason win

By Rylan Stiles

Luguentz Dort #5 of the Oklahoma City Thunder warms up against the Sacramento Kings prior to the first quarter at Golden 1 Center on May 9, 2021 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ben Green/Getty Images)
Luguentz Dort #5 of the Oklahoma City Thunder warms up against the Sacramento Kings prior to the first quarter at Golden 1 Center on May 9, 2021 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ben Green/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 4
Next
OKC Thunder
Josh Giddey #3 of the OKC Thunder poses for a photo during the 2021 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot on August 15, 2021, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images) /

The OKC Thunder rookie class looks great vs Nuggets

The Oklahoma City Thunder controlled 10-percent of the 2021 NBA Draft, they walked away with a draft class that left some questioning Thunder general manager Sam Presti. When the dust settled, and trades were finalized, the OKC Thunder were left with Josh Giddey, Tre Mann, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, and Aaron Wiggins.

Tonight, Josh Giddey continued his glorious preseason with dazzling dribble moves, unexpected shot creation, and of course his jaw-dropping passing skills. Giddey closed out the game and helped the OKC Thunder seal this win with his 14-points, three assists, six rebounds on 60-percent from the floor, and a dagger three.

Aaron Wiggins remained on the bench until the final five minutes, but when Mark Daigneault sent him to the scorer’s table to check in, Wiggins was ready to roll. He immediately came in and knocked down his lone three-point attempt, earn a huge defensive rebound, swiped two steals, and a potential game stealing block. While it was just five minutes, it is incredibly impressive to stay ready to go after not playing all night and make such a huge impact.

Tre Mann found more success inside the arc tonight going 5-of-10 from the floor while going 1-of-4 from deep on his way to 12-points, three rebounds, and an assist. Mann is going to take some time to grow into this league, it is unclear what his minutes’ load looks like in year one, but he will be an extremely fun player to watch this season.

Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, after starting last game, comes off the bench to the tune of six points, five rebounds, an assist, and a steal. JRE played a great small-ball five against the Denver Nuggets and continues to bring first-round value as a second-round selection.

No matter how you felt on NBA Draft night, this preseason should go a long way in changing your perspective on the rookies. While you never want to overreact, in such a small sample size each player has shown flashes of why Presti picked them.

Next. Darius Bazley breaks out against Nuggets. dark

Home/Thunder News