When it was all said and done, the Thunder played eight total games in Summer League over the course of two weeks and two cities. It’s a concentrated stretch of time compared to an 82-game season, but the offseason playing time in Las Vegas and Salt Lake City provided tremendous value both on a collective and individual level for the Thunder. By the time the buzzer sounded on its eighth and final game of Summer League, the team had taken noticeable strides forward on both levels.
“I thought the group came a long way,” said Thunder Summer League head coach Kameron Woods. “I thought collectively we came together as a group. Offensively, I thought our ball movement has grown. Defensively, our voice has grown. We played with a lot more pace as each game went on and as a result of that, individuals played better and I thought our team did too through the ups and downs of these eight games.”
The Thunder’s five-game stretch in Las Vegas was the first chance for rookies Cason Wallace and Keyontae Johnson to get a taste of NBA action. Wallace, the number 10 pick in the draft out of the University of Kentucky, showcased his scoring ability in his first game wearing a Thunder jersey. The rookie cashed in six 3-pointers on the way to a 20-point Summer League debut against the Mavericks.
Johnson, the 6-foot-5 second round pick out of Kansas State, put his versatility on display throughout the week. The forward crashed the offensive glass, knocked down 3-pointers and defended with intensity. In the Thunder’s second game in Las Vegas against the Rockets, Johnson racked up 19 points to go along with five boards.
Beyond the bright performances from the rookies, it was their approach that was applauded by the Thunder after five games of NBA action. There was a professionalism to the newcomers’ approach – they asked lots of questions, they showed a willingness to be coached and most importantly, they competed at a high level.
“The biggest thing to highlight is their competitiveness. They’re two versatile guys who can play a lot of different positions and a lot of different roles out there,” said Woods. “Their ability to switch, their ability to make shots, make plays with the ball in their hands. They’re versatile defenders. I’ve been impressed with their ability to pick up information on the fly as we’ve gone on and implement it in the game.”
In addition to the newcomers, the time was also beneficial for several of the Thunder’s returners such as Chet Holmgren who missed last season due to a Lisfranc injury in his right foot. The 7-footer used the time to fine tune his conditioning in live action on the floor while also demonstrating just how disruptive his length can be on the defensive end by rising up in ‘moment-of-truth’ opportunities and deflecting shots at the rim.
“He kind of leads the charge on that end of the floor for us defensively,” said Woods of Holmgren. “The stuff that he's gotten a lot better at is just understanding what we're trying to get done on that end and leading us with his voice. When he does that, he not only has a chance to be special, but I think the group does too.”
The same was true for second year forward Ousmane Dieng who played significant minutes in Summer League. The France native did a little bit of everything for the Thunder – spending time on the court as the lone big, showcasing his passing ability, rim protecting and finishing ability in the lane.
“He's done a good job of just continuing to stack high intensity days on top of each other. Since he's been here, playing with force has been something we talked about, even with the (OKC) Blue during the season,” said Woods of Dieng. “He found some stuff around the rim, but it was just all a byproduct of him playing really hard, and really getting lost in competing.”
Other returners such as sharp-shooter Jared Butler used their time in Summer League to show the growth they made individually throughout the offseason. Last year’s two-way player put on a show in the Thunder’s Summer League finale with 31 points, four rebounds and three steals while cashing in five 3-pointers.
“The competitiveness has definitely ramped up for him,” said Woods. “Some of the picking up full court. That kind of gives us some juices good. On offense we've worked a lot with him on his shooting – he's a really good shooter but being able to find some good threes out there.”
“Overall sense of the game – when to shoot, when to pass, when to just float and kind of let the team do its thing,” said Butler on what his focus had been throughout Summer League. “That’s more what I’ve been working on and being a glue guy. Do whatever the team needs me to do any given moment. That’s what I’ve been trying to work on.”
Each of the 18 players on the Thunder’s Vegas Summer League roster was there for a different reason whether it was to get a first taste of the NBA, to get some much-needed development minutes before the season or to make their mark in the hopes of making an NBA roster. Despite these individual goals, the Summer League squad still played with the same style and values that have been the Thunder’s hallmark for so long. The ball zipped around the floor before finding the best shot. The voices on defense chirped out warnings and coverages constantly throughout a possession. Veterans such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort and Josh Giddey watched and supported on the sidelines even though they weren’t suited up for action.
“Sam (Presti) has done a great job of putting together a group that has come in with the understanding of how we want to play. Everybody has done a great job of that,” said Woods. “The group as a whole I thought has had a really good approach.”