3 Under the Radar Storylines for the 2022-23 Thunder Season

Oklahoma City is full of storylines this season, but some aren’t talked about as much as others.

Oklahoma City is preparing for its next season in the ongoing rebuilding process.

The roster has improved and the outlook for the team continues to be bright looking down the road. With fresh young faces and a new season brings storylines to the forefront.

Some storylines for the Thunder are obvious and broadcast through most major mediums. Here are three storylines that haven’t gotten the same attention as others. 

What will Tre Mann’s second season look like?

The Thunder guards have gotten a lot of attention this off-season. However, Mann hasn’t received as much attention as the others.

Josh Giddey’s second season is the main storyline for the Thunder’s 2021 rookie class, but Mann’s season last year was impressive.

He showed off his array of skills off of the bench which included a couple 30 point outings. The Thunder added Jalen Williams in the lottery of this season’s draft to add to the guard depth of the team, but Mann’s outlook remains positive.

Despite a rough Summer League, Mann is also looking to avoid a sophomore drop and bounce back from a roller coaster off-season. 

Oklahoma City’s Improved wing depth

The three spot in the OKC lineup has been a shaky ride for the last few seasons on the bench.

However, last season the Thunder found some consistency with Aaron Wiggins and Kenrich Williams among others who can play forward on the wings.

In the off-season OKC again addressed that role drafting Ousmane Dieng while maintaining the holdovers from 2021-22.

The wing depth is crucial for OKC and they have the depth now to continue to grow in that aspect. Williams can also stretch to the wing as a 6-foot-6 guard. The Thunder also have plenty of young depth on the OKC Blue who earned time last season in the NBA due to injuries.

The added depth will also allow Dieng to develop into NBA life and continue to prepare his game for the leap. 

Can OKC rise out of the bottom in shooting?

Oklahoma City was dead last in 3-point shooting last season.

The Thunder have the players to be a decent 3-point shooting team, but the looks and efficiency simply wasn’t there last season.

The off-season saw OKC make a commitment to improving those numbers. They drafted Williams, who shot nearly 40% last season in college from 3-point range and they hired Chip Engelland as an assistant.

Engelland is a highly touted assistant with a focus on shooting and a long list of success stories.

He now gets dealt a hand of young talented players with high potential to be dangerous if they can develop the potential they hold. Shai Gilgeous- Alexander,Josh Giddey and other talented young pieces have shown promise with shooting, but with Engelland the group can take the next step forward. 

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