The Thunder rookies showed in preseason they can be impact players right away for Oklahoma City.
The Thunder walked out of the 2022 NBA Draft with three lottery picks. Headlining the rookie class was prized Gonzaga big man Chet Holmgren. Unfortunately, the Thunder will be without Holmgren for the entirety of the regular season due to a foot injury. However, the remaining rookies played exceptionally well in the preseason, adding to an already strong Thunder core.
Jalen Williams, the 12th overall pick, looked like the steal of the draft in the preseason, averaging 14 points per game on 61 percent shooting from the field. We knew Williams would be an impact player right away, spending three years at Santa Clara before leaping to the NBA. What we didn’t know is just how good he would be out of the gate, especially his playmaking.
Williams averaged five assists per game in the preseason, including a 13-assist game against Maccabi Ra’anana. We knew Williams could score the ball and play defense, but to see him be effective as a primary ball-handler is a pleasant surprise.
One of the biggest surprised of the Thunder preseason was Ousmane Dieng, the 11th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Dieng was labeled as a high-ceiling project that wouldn’t be an impact player right away. However, he proved those people wrong in the preseason.
Dieng averaged 11 points per game with a 69 true shooting percentage in the preseason, not to mention his elite defense. What’s most impressive about Dieng’s preseason was his fluidity with the basketball. Multiple times per game I was in awe that a near seven-footer was moving like that. His body movement is very similar to that of Kevin Durant. Not saying he’ll become the scorer that Durant is, at least not yet, but it’s encouraging to see him move so well at just 19 years old.