Breaking Down The OKC Thunder's Salt Lake City Summer League
The Thunder’s shot at confetti streamers will be holding off for Las Vegas.
After the Thunder fell short 80-79 in Thursday’s Utah Summer League capper versus the Philadelphia 76ers, the franchise will be shifting its focus to some Sin City basketball.
While the Vegas Summer League provides five games (a full schedule may be found here) with all 30 teams participating, it’d be unfair to completely toss the Thunder’s Utah experience out of the window.
Here’s a breakdown of the Thunder’s best in Salt Lake City.
Oklahoma City as a whole clobbered the competition, outsourcing opponents by a collective 36 points in their three-day span. The Thunder’s strongest suit came on the defensive side of the ball, taking a +40 advantage in points in the paint 120-80. While this stat line shows prowess on both ends, their ability to force defenders to play from deep ultimately allowed them to post big-time victories.
The Thunder’s shot chart is surprising given their two blowout victories. Oklahoma City shot 42.9% (95-of-221) on twos and 30.8% (29-of-94) on three-point shots meaning there was no steady output from any spot on the court. However, with some key contributors in the mix, they managed to get by.
Chet Holmgren set the bar in his Summer League debut, clocking 23 points and six blocks across nine shots in the game. While Holmgren did not play out the entirety of the Utah circuit, missing Thursday’s game, he averaged team-highs in points (17.0) and rebounds (9.5) across two games. Holmgren’s defensive ability is the main reason for the team’s points in the paint advantage, while his shooting from deep was the main cause for off-ball movement.
Josh Giddey stayed true to his triple-double status, clocking a 14-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist game in the Thunder’s second game. He averaged 12.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and a Summer League-high 9.3 assists. Giddey’s passing was on full display in Las Vegas, while his synergy coming off Holmgren ball screens staked a mutually-beneficial claim.
Jalen Williams is a sneaky riser heading into Las Vegas. Williams averaged 13.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.7 steals across three games. The 21-year-old was the Thunder’s best off-ball piece by far this week as he knifed inside for a plethora of cut scores in addition to scoring off the catch. If Giddey sits in Vegas, Williams’ on-ball role may increase, allowing fans a peek into his mature playmaking ability.
Ousmane Dieng did not pop off the page in the Utah circuit, still looking to assert himself for most of the week. Dieng’s end stats saw him post 7.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists across three games. The Thunder selected Dieng with intentions of him being a 6-foot-10 ball-handler. However, he stood in the corner for most of the week – deferring to Giddey in most cases. While he did show a few glimpses, notably a sidestep finish, he enters Vegas under the radar.
Jaylin Williams lived up to the charge card name in college, earning charges in two-of-three games this week. While the offensive production was minimal, averaging 0.7 points, he made some high-IQ plays when handling at the foul line. Jay Will should see more reps in Las Vegas, hopefully tapping him into more scoring opportunities.
Vit Krejci layed low on the numbers. However, he made a major impact in the Thunder’s Summer League closer. Despite averaging 5.0 points, 1.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists, he was an ideal plug-and-play piece for Oklahoma City. He downed 2-of-5 threes, did an excellent job creating space on-ball, and doused out a couple of nice passes. Going into year No. 2, Krejci needs to make a statement to fend off the Thunder’s roster crunch. He’s done so to this point.
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