Thunder Gameday: Rockets Present Another Opportunity to Improve

In their second game in Las Vegas, Oklahoma City will take on Houston.

With yet another opportunity to get developmental minutes for players, the Oklahoma City Thunder will take on the Houston Rockets in Las Vegas. Neither team has lost a contest yet, so both are still potential summer league playoff teams.

This will be the second game on the schedule for Oklahoma City, with at least three more to come after today, NBA Summer League is a time for players to get key reps and show improvement ahead of roster decisions being made in the coming months, As such, this is an important time for them to take the floor. 

As it relates specifically to the game against Houston today, what does the Thunder need to do in order to earn a win?

KEYS TO THE GAME:

Although this is just the Thunder's second game in Las Vegas, it's their fifth of the summer overall. As such, this could be the game in which we start to see key players no longer play as others on the roster start to get an opportunity. Houston has already indicated that guys like Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason are done for the summer, so players like Chet Holmgren and Tre Mann could fall into a similar category for Oklahoma City as early as today.

Regardless of who plays for the Thunder, expect Cason Wallace to be a primary contributor. In his debut on Saturday, he knocked down six 3-pointers while leading the team to a win as the top scorer. Ousmane Dieng is another former lottery pick that will play a key role today as he continues to show improvement as the summer goes on. 

Keep in mind, Amen Thompson suffered an ankle injury in his debut, so he will not play for the Rockets today. Cam Whitmore will be a focal point of the offense in his absence, meaning the defense will need to put an emphasis on slowing him down.

RECORDS:

Oklahoma City Thunder (1-0) vs. Houston Rockets (2-0)

WHEN:

Tuesday, July 11, 2023 at 5:30 PM CT

LOCATION:

Thomas & Mack Center - Las Vegas, NV

TV/RADIO:

NBA TV, 98.1 FM The Sports Animal

FINAL WORD:

Following this contest, Oklahoma City take on the Indiana Pacers tomorrow in a back-to-back.

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