OKC Thunder: Three Things to Watch in Salt Lake City Summer League
Oklahoma City basketball is back, at least the Summer League version. The Thunder begin their summer in Salt Lake City, and with no shortage of storylines.
OKC has been active this off-season, and the Summer League will be the fans first chance to see some of the new faces.
Here are a few of the biggest storylines for the Salt Lake City Summer League.
Chet Holmgren is Back
The Thunder long waited to see Chet Holmgren back on the court, and that wait has finally come to an end. After suffering a significant foot injury last off-season, Holmgren missed his entire first year in the league.
He’s now back and cleared to compete. He’s out on-weight and continues to show progress. Now, entering his second off-season, Holmgren looks to showcase his skills once again.
Holmgren is set to be a major part of the Thunder’s regular season roster and rotation. He’ll get to get back into the groove of high level basketball during the Summer League.
The Fight for Spots
Oklahoma City continues to add players to their already stacked full roster. With more players than available regular season spots available some of the OKC youngsters will have to fight for their spot.
The fight for the final spots begin with the beginning of the Summer League. Young players like Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Tre Mann and even the large group of undrafted free agents get a chance to prove themselves in front of the coaching staff.
The Thunder will continue to have battles for their final roster spots until the end of the off-season, but the Summer League is the first chance for the young players to get on the court and show their skills in front of NBA coaching staff.
The Williamses Second-Year Progress
The Thunder selected four rookies in last year’s draft, two of them being Jalen Williams and Jaylin Williams.
Both played significant roles for last season’s Thunder team. Both earned starting roles near the end of the season, and are looking to both play large roles in the upcoming season. The Summer League will be the first chance to see both players in action to see the progress they’ve made since the end of last season.
Both Williams’ will be looking to avoid the sophomore slump, and continue to be massive parts in the Thunder’s success. Both players were massive on the defensive end of the court and can showcase the development in Salt Lake City starting this week.
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