Oklahoma City began Summer League off with fairly the bang Tuesday evening.
With Sam Presti and Mark Daigneault in attendance, the younger weapons got here to play. Parts of the sport had been sloppy, and that’s to be anticipated, however the expertise was evident everywhere in the flooring.
The Thunder got here away with a dominating 98-77 victory over the Utah Jazz, controlling the sport the complete method. All 4 2022 NBA Draft alternatives performed heavy minutes and made an impression immediately.
Here’s who led the best way for Oklahoma City in an thrilling sneak peek of the long run:
Chet Holmgren
This is the plain reply. Holmgren has set the basketball world on hearth together with his efficiency on Tuesday evening. The No. 2 total choose had a efficiency for the ages with 23 factors, seven rebounds, six blocks and 4 steals. He completed the sport 7-of-9 from the ground and 4-of-6 from 3-point vary.
The large man from Gonzaga was just about unstoppable, displaying elite perimeter taking pictures and shot blocking talents. It’s clear Oklahoma City trusts him to create and experiment, as he introduced the ball up the court docket commonly, too. Holmgren excelled in isolation conditions, too, as he’s merely sooner than different submit gamers.
Not solely was Holmgren dominant on the stat sheet, however he was silently dominant too. His drop protection on ball screens was a key cog in Oklahoma City’s protection all evening lengthy. He does a lot that doesn’t present up on the stat sheet.
Josh Giddey
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The chemistry on the court docket was on show all evening lengthy. Giddey regarded a step forward of everybody on the ground, actually exhibiting his veteran prowess.
He completed the sport with 14 factors, 11 assists and 5 rebounds in simply 23 minutes of motion. Giddey’s finger prints had been throughout this recreation, as he dictated the tempo and offense when he was on the court docket. He was additionally very energetic on the defensive finish, recording two steals and two blocks.
Holmgren and Giddey had been a mixed plus-48, marking an thrilling begin for the brand new duo in Oklahoma City.
Jalen Williams
If Holmgren didn’t have the efficiency he had, the Oklahoma City fanbase could be dropping its thoughts concerning the rookie from Santa Clara.
Williams was practically flawless, exhibiting off all the pieces that made him a lottery choose. In 25 minutes, he recorded 17 factors and 5 rebounds, taking pictures 8-of-11 from the ground. He excelled off ball and on ball, becoming in seamlessly wherever on the court docket.
His recreation compliments Giddey and Holmgren’s recreation so nicely, making it simple for the trio to feed off of eachother and discover success on the court docket. Williams seems able to make an instantaneous impression immediately on each ends of the ground.
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story by The Texas Tribune Source link