Former Kentucky standout Otega Oweh was considered to be more of an afterthought when he was selected by the OKC Thunder in the second round of this past June's NBA Draft.
The physical defender appeared to be more of an upside swing than a key contributor moving forward.
It seems that just one Summer League game may have been all he needed to familiarize himself with the Thunder. In other words, he's catching on quicker than expected.
"I just want to compete every single possession and give it my all... Get better every single game,"Â Oweh said in an interview the day following OKC's first game.
It's a line that has been championed by his now-teammates in Bricktown, and it's an integral part of the winning formula coach Mark Daigneault has cooked up over the past few years.
Regardless of whether Oweh has picked up this mindset since he's been with the team or if this mentality is the exact reason why general manager Sam Presti and company drafted him, it's a major green flag coming from a player who will likely round out the back end of OKC's roster this year.
Otega Oweh proving to be just what Thunder need
To think that Oweh will be a major producer in his first year with the team would be unrealistic. Even after a solid eight points, four rebounds, two steals, and one block debut, there's still plenty of work that needs to be done to refine the raw youngster's game.
However, bench players have still played a significant role in OKC's recent success. Players who don't sniff the court can still make or break a team.
They can adopt their role or combat it. If they choose the latter, it could have severe effects on team chemistry.
Players like Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, Kenrich Williams, and Jaylin Williams have all been reserve players at one point in time in OKC, and their team-first attitudes have remained steadfast.
Kenrich just re-signed with the Thunder for less than what he was making last season, strictly because of his desire to retire a Thunder.
With Wiggins and Joe now gone, OKCÂ are in need of bench assets who possess a similar kind of selflessness and commitment to greatness. Early on, Oweh seems to be that type of player, which bodes well for the upcoming season.
However, Oweh doesn't lack talent, so to assume he will never see the floor would be a mistake. The rookie averaged an impressive 18.6 points per game in his final season at Kentucky and hit countless timely shots, including a half-court buzzer-beater to send the Wildcats' first March Madness game to overtime, where they eventually triumphed over Santa Clara.
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