NBA Summer League: Oklahoma City's Four Rookies Look to Impress in Las Vegas

The NBA has taken over Las Vegas.

Teams are preparing to hit the floor as the NBA’s Summer League is ready to tip off in the Sin City.

The Oklahoma City Thunder, alongside the other 29 franchises, will head to Vegas to play five games each. After the first four games, the two teams with the best record will meet for the Summer League Championship, and the remaining 28 teams will be paired off for their fifth and final game from the Thomas & Mack Center and the Cox Pavilion at the MGM Resorts in Las Vegas.

Amongst the players named to OKC’s Summer League roster are their four 2021 draft picks, Josh Giddey, Tre Mann, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Aaron Wiggins, as well as Theo Maledon, Jaylen Hoard, Josh Hall and Charlie Brown Jr., who all were on the Thunder roster at some point last season.

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Taking the floor against the Detroit Pistons, New Orleans Pelicans, Golden State Warriors and Indiana Pacers, the Summer League slate will be the first chance Thunder fans get to see the No. 6-overall pick, Giddey, take the floor in a Thunder uniform.

Depending on how Oklahoma City Blue coach Grant Gibbs deploys the team, Giddey may play off Maledon, allowing the 6-foot-8 guard to begin to grow off the ball after playing the role of primary ball handler for the Adelaide 36ers a year ago in Australia’s NBL.

It will also serve as Giddey’s introduction to the NBA pace of play, as the NBL and international basketball as a whole is a much more physical brand of basketball with less space on the floor than is afforded to offenses in the NBA.

The Summer League slate will also be serve as an important opportunity for Maledon to continue his development running the show. Forced into the starting lineup for the injured Shai Gilgeous-Alexander a year ago, Maledon had his ups and downs just like any rookie across the league.

But the French point guard arrives in Las Vegas with the expectation of running the show for the Thunder, and OKC fans will hope that he is a clear cut above the rest of the squad that the Thunder brought to Nevada.

Oklahoma City’s stay in Vegas will kick off in style, as the Thunder drew a matchup with Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons right off the bat.

The former Oklahoma State star and No. 1-overall pick will face off against Giddey and the Thunder on Sunday, Aug. 8 at 7:30 p.m. central time. The matchup between the Thunder and the Pistons is scheduled to be broadcast on ESPN2.

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