The OKC Thunder may not be playing Tuesday's preseason opener out at Paycom Center, but it'll still be considered a homecoming of sorts for Otega Oweh.
The rookie wing played his final two years at the collegiate level with the Kentucky Wildcats, but both his Freshman and Sophomore campaigns in the NCAA were spent with the Oklahoma Sooners, whose home court at Lloyd Noble Center is only a short 30-minute drive up I-35 away from the Thunder's stomping grounds.
The last time he suited up for a home game out in the Sooner State was March 13, 2024, when he posted 16 points, four rebounds, and three steals against TCU.
Now, even though the Sooners played out in Norman, roughly two hours southwest of where Tuesday's opener will be held in Tulsa, Oweh has gone on record noting that he knows "exactly what I'm coming into" when it relates to the pressures and meaning of playing in Oklahoma.
Thunder could look to Otega Oweh a ton against Pelicans
Not only will the environment be similar to his days suiting up with the Sooners, but so, too, might be his playing time.
Well ahead of their 7pm (CT) tip-off, it was announced that the Thunder will be sitting seven total players for their preseason opener against New Orleans, with names ranging from core foundation talents like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams to hungry rotation bubble players like Nikola Topic and Thomas Sorber.
With this, ample opportunities should be up for grabs for Oweh.
This will be the first time the rookie has seen any semblance of in-game action since hurting himself in only his second game of NBA Summer League. Fortunately, in his limited action, he was already able to show off his tremendous two-way skill set.
Now, during training camp, it seems his Swiss Army Knife abilities have continued to impress, as coach Mark Daigneault recently said at a media presser that Oweh is a player who "makes things happen."
Coming into the draft, the 23-year-old was widely regarded as a jack-of-all-trades type of prospect, a descriptor GM Sam Presti has historically coveted throughout his tenure with the Thunder.
From rebounds and off-ball cutting to his multi-positional defensive skills, Oweh can plug plenty of holes in Oklahoma City's scheme if called upon.
Frankly, if he can find some consistency with his jumper, he could realistically end up filling the team's final open roster spot.
His first chance to prove it on the hardwood comes on Tuesday against NOLA.
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