Thunder Rookies Shine in Preseason

Oklahoma City’s three active rookies Ousmane Dieng, Jalen Williams and Jaylin Williams, have all shown flashes of competent NBA ability in the preseason, giving Thunder fans hope that General Manager Sam Presti has once again worked his draft day magic.

The 11th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Ousmane Dieng, has played over 20 minutes in all four of his preseason appearances, but has only notched one start. The former NBL star missed OKC’s game against the Adelaide 36ers.

Through four games, Dieng is averaging 11 points and over three rebounds per game. The French wing had a career high of 18 points, four rebounds and four assists in the Thunder’s 144-97 victory over Ra’anana Maccabi.

The Thunder’s next selection, Santa Clara product Jalen Williams, has already etched a role in OKC’s rotation. Williams earned the most minutes in the Thunder’s first two preseason games and cracked the starting lineup for the first time against the Detroit Pistons.

The 6-foot-6 wing is averaging almost 13 points and six assists per game and has compiled his two highest scoring totals in Oklahoma City’s past two games, notching 15 points against Ra’anana Maccabi and 16 in a victory over the Pistons. Williams also tallied a remarkable 13 assists against Ra’anana Maccabi.

Hailing from Arkansas, rookie big man Jaylin Williams is the only first-year player to see the floor in all five of the Thunder’s preseason contests. The 6-foot-10 forward is averaging 4.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Williams' highlight performance came in OKC’s victory over Ra’anana Maccabi, when the former Razorback recorded a double-double, notching 14 points and 12 rebounds.

The Thunder’s three healthy rookies seem to be on the right track, and will likely see substantial time on the floor this season. When No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren returns to action in 2023, the Thunder will have had a full season to develop and observe the rest of the talent in their 2022 draft class.

Want to join the discussion? Like SI Thunder on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.