Who Will be the Thunder's Second Scoring Option in 2023-24?

After averaging over 30 points per game last season, it is obvious that the Thunder have their primary scorer in First Team All-NBA guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

After multiple successful drafts and an impressive track record of player development, Oklahoma City has a handful of talented scorers who could become the team's second option on offense.

Fortunately for OKC, the key players on their team provide much more than just the ability to score. Still, someone will have to be the team's second leading scorer and take some of the offensive pressure off of Gilgeous-Alexander.

Between second-year wing Jalen Williams, third-year point guard Josh Giddey and former EuroLeague MVP Vasilije Micić, the Thunder have a few players who could step up to the task.

Last year, Giddey was Oklahoma City' second leading scorer, tallying 16.6 points per game while shooting 48.2% from the field. The 6-foot-8 Australian point guard was very impressive during his second NBA season, showing improvement from what was already a stellar rookie year.

If Giddey can refine his game even more over the offseason, it is likely he will be OKC's No. 2 option once again. The No. 6 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft's 3-point shot could still use improvement, as Giddey shot just 32.5% from beyond the arc last year.

Still, this was a major upgrade from 26.3% from downtown as a rookie. With renowned shooting coach Chip Engelland on the Oklahoma City staff, there is a good chance Giddey's perimeter shooting will continue to improve.

As a rookie last season, Jalen Williams was the Thunder's third leading scorer, totaling 14.1 points per game while shooting over 52% from the field in 2022-23. If he had been given a spot in the starting lineup earlier in the season, Williams' likely could have averaged even more points per game as a rookie.

Still, the Santa Clara product's impressive debut season earned him First Team All-Rookie honors last year. Williams' finished the 2022-23 season on an impressive run, scoring over 20 points 10 times in a 16-game span.

In his lone 2023 Summer League outing, Williams looked confident on offense, scoring with ease en route to a 21-point first half. If the former Bronco can shoot the ball again like he did during his final collegiate season, his scoring numbers will likely jump this year.

Micić, a 29-year-old rookie, could also be in contention to be the team's second leading scorer this year. While he has never played an NBA game, Micić is a two-time EuroLeague champion, a two-time EuroLeague Final Four MVP and was named the EuroLeague MVP in 2021.

At 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds, the Serbian guard will likely earn decent minutes for the Thunder this season. Given his professional experience, skill level and size, it would not be shocking to see Micić have a big role offensively in OKC this season.

While he likely will not outscore Williams or Giddey, there is a shot that Micić makes a bigger impact than expected after signing with the Thunder over the offseason.

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