Could Josh Giddey be turning the corner? Other takeaways from Thunder's blowout win

Tre Mann has really improved this season

Sure, it was 17 minutes of garbage time, and to this point in the season saved for a night in Houston, Mann has exclusively played in such scenarios. However, that does not mean that his leap has not been evident.

The 18th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft has fallen out of Mark Daigneault's rotation, and while no one can be sure when (of it) the minutes will swing back in his favor, Mann can not control that. He does not get to decide when to check-in.

All Mann can decide is the level of effort he will give in these minutes, and so far this season, Mann has flashed vast improvement. Specifically on defense, Mann is able to navigate screens better, understand where his next switch should be, and the ability to stay focused on longer possessions.

On the Offensive end, Tre Mann has really grown as a playmaker. Before, it felt as though the Florida product was constantly looking to score. Now, Mann is able to survey the floor better and has improved his ability to get passes to their destination with added velocity and understanding how to anticipate where the defense is shading or heading.

Then you get to his scoring touch; while an extremely small sample size, Mann is shooting 50 percent from the floor, 42 percent from beyond the arc, and perfect at the stripe.

With the Thunder's condensed schedule in January, they may need to lean on Mann minutes as they go through back-to-backs, five games in seven nights stretches, and if any injuries pop up, which to this point OKC has avoided.

This was a fun game for Tre Mann to continue to flash his progress, and he even got an assist to his college teammate on his first NBA bucket.

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