Rookie Fit Preview: Oklahoma City Thunder
During the 2022 NBA Draft, the Oklahoma City Thunder made one of the biggest splashes. They entered the event with two lottery picks, but concluded the night with three players in that range.
Adding three top-12 picks and an early second rounder means there's going to be a real crunch as it relates to competing for minutes early on. The group incoming includes Chet Holmgren, Ousmane Dieng, Jalen Williams and Jaylin Williams. A rebuilding team, the Thunder will use the upcoming season to really test these prospects and the others on the roster to see what they have.
The way things are looking now, it appears Oklahoma City has a trio of players that will be part of the main core in Josh Giddey, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren.
The Rookie Class
Chet Holmgren (Center | No. 2 Overall)
Perhaps the most unique player in this entire class, Holmgren has the potential to impact both sides of the ball at an extremely high level.
Ousmane Dieng (Wing | No. 11 Overall)
A raw prospect with a ton of upside, Dieng is a jumbo wing that is an underrated facilitator and defender.
Jalen Williams (Guard | No. 12 Overall)
After a stellar showing in NBA Summer League, Williams looks to be a polished prospect that's ready to compete for minutes immediately.
Jaylin Williams (Forward | No. 34 Overall)
A glue guy that is known for drawing charges and doing the little things, Williams might take some time to carve out a large role in the NBA.
Roles and Opportunities
There should be plenty of time to go around this season in Oklahoma City, especially as the season goes on. As we've seen for the past two years, the Thunder are all about roster exploration down the stretch since the playoffs are out of reach.
While the team may be less aggressive in shutting down stars late in the season during the 2022-23 campaign, it's almost guaranteed every player on the 15-man roster will get the chance to start a few games at some point.
Furthermore, the Thunder are loaded at guard but don't have much depth on the wing or in the frontcourt. With each of these four incoming rookies having the versatility to play outside of the guard spot, they should have the opportunity to earn big minutes.
Holmgren will likely be a day one starter, while Jalen Williams could be one of the first players off the bench. Dieng has a ton of upside but will likely struggle early in his career. As such, he could spend quite a bit of time in the G League. Jaylin Williams will likely play more minutes with the Blue during the core of the season with some opportunities to play up with the Thunder in certain situations.
The Thunder were one of the worst 3-point shooting teams last season, but should improve on that front with Holmgren and Williams being proven from beyond the arc. Oklahoma City was surprisingly good defensively during the 2021-22 campaign, but will be even better this season with what Holmgren and Dieng bring to the table.
It's clear that the Thunder won't be a contender this season, but if they're able to knock down triples and play good defense, they'll be a fairly tough team to beat.
Projections
There's a real chance the Thunder end up with two players on the NBA All-Rookie teams. Holmgren should be a favorite for NBA Rookie of the Year while Jalen Williams could sneak into a Second Team All-Rookie slot. Regardless, all four of these rookies will log a ton of minutes this season.
For Holmgren and Dieng, the early struggles could be similar. Both have thin frames and will need to adjust to the physical style of play at the NBA level. On the flip side, both Williams' are physically ready for the NBA. What's interesting about that dynamic is that Holmgren and Dieng have the two highest ceilings of the four, showing Thunder GM Sam Presti's commitment to building for the future.
Struggles are expected for these young Thunder rookies, but that's part of the process. Oklahoma City is looking ahead two or more years in terms of when these prospects truly need to be ready.
Overall, Oklahoma City has one of the best rookie classes for the upcoming season. With the opportunity to bounce between the G League and NBA, there should be plenty of developmental minutes to go around.
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