Oklahoma City Thunder 2023-24 Season

[Laramie]

Thunder are scheduled to participate in the 4-team Salt Lake City SL (July 8-10) and the 30 team Las Vegas SL. (July 12-22).

How much action will we see with the recent draft picks:

1st Round: No. 12 – Nikola Topic – PG (Serbia) - partially torn ACL left knee, reinjured.
1st Round: No. 26 Dillion Jones -- F (Weber State)
2nd Round: No. 38 - Ajay Mitchell - G (via trade New York) -- UC Santa Barbara

There's talk that Topic will spend the 2024-25 season in rehabilitation. Would you be surprised
if he sees limited summer league action.

[Laramie]

Information on the Utah Jazz Summer League site:

Expected to play for Oklahoma City

Cason Wallace
Jaylin Williams
Ousmane Dieng
Dillon Jones
Ajay Mitchell​

[citywokchinesefood]

Topic will red shirt this year and have his rookie year next year. This is going to be a prove it or lose it year for JWill and Dieng.

[dankrutka]

Cason isn’t playing in summer league, unfortunately.

[PhiAlpha]

Topic will red shirt this year and have his rookie year next year. This is going to be a prove it or lose it year for JWill and Dieng.

I feel like JWill has already “proven it” enough for a roster spot at the end of the bench on a cheap deal. Dieng not so much.

[Laramie]

Cason isn’t playing in summer league, unfortunately.

Thunder haven't submitted a roster for the SLC Summer League. Dan, have you heard anything on Cason Wallace from any reliable source.

[catcherinthewry]

Thunder haven't submitted a roster for the SLC Summer League. Dan, have you heard anything on Cason Wallace from any reliable source.

I've heard the same thing from Andrew Schlect.

[Laramie]

I've heard the same thing from Andrew Schlect.

^ Thanks ^

Here is a partial update from Hoops Hype:

Clarence Daniels - New Hampshire SF 23-212
Alex Ducas - St. Mary's SG 23-207
Adam Flagler - Oklahoma City PG 24-218
Jack Gohlke - Oakland SG 25-116
Dillon Jones - Weber St. SF 22-250
Malevy Leons - Bradley PF 24-287
Ajay Mitchell - UC Santa Barbara PG 22-011
Tre Mitchell - Kentucky PF 23-285

[catcherinthewry]

Poke's available again

https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/st...68672740294971

[PhiAlpha]

Poke's available again

https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/st...68672740294971

I think he showed enough with the additional playing time in Charlotte to get another shot somewhere but will have to produce or it will be his last.

[citywokchinesefood]

I feel like JWill has already “proven it” enough for a roster spot at the end of the bench on a cheap deal. Dieng not so much.

Hartenstein will likely be the death of the few minutes that he gets. The team will absolutely play Chet and iHart together, but they likely will keep one of them on the floor at all times. The advanced stats and the eye test if you know basketball JWill has not proven he is worth an extension. Of the regular rotation players in the regular season and the playoffs he only shows up in the 8th best lineup that played only 41 minutes the entire season. He is a high effort, great team guy and I like on the roster, but he absolutely needs to prove that he can take a step offensively and defensively. He is too small to be a long term back up center, that showed a lot through the entire season and playoffs. You can like the hustle all you want but that does not make him a long term fit for this team if he can not take a significant step offensively. He will more than likely be on another team like Detroit or Charlotte in two years than playing meaningful minutes for this Thunder team. You have to remember this team has 4 first round picks next year that could be picked or consolidated into high impact players, future picks that have insane value like the future clippers, Denver and Dallas picks that are unprotected and could yield lottery level talent to this team before the new arena is open. The organization is not going to hold on to a player for long that as best is the 10-15th best rotation player.

[dankrutka]

Thunder haven't submitted a roster for the SLC Summer League. Dan, have you heard anything on Cason Wallace from any reliable source.

Straight from Daigneault: https://x.com/Rylan_Stiles/status/1807139449018683686

[Laramie]

Straight from Daigneault: https://x.com/Rylan_Stiles/status/1807139449018683686

Thanks, Dan, you can't get any more straight forward than the head coaches' mouth.

He's not worth the risk playing in the summer league. You have too many guys that are fighting for their basketball careers--summer league is like a 'want-to-be' NBA player having one foot in the door.

[dankrutka]

I would have liked to see Cason get a chance to have a higher usage, but yeah, I get the decision too.

[catcherinthewry]

I thought Dieng was playing for France in the Olympics, but he must not have made the team because he is listed on the Thunder's Summer League roster. If he can take the next step this year we are going to be hard to beat.

https://twitter.com/okcthunder/statu...13312479842321

[dankrutka]

Yeah, Dieng was cut from France’s team. That would have been a good experience for him.

[Laramie]

Ousmane Dieng was a major contributor in our Oklahoma City Blue winning the G-League championship. Dieng scored 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting, 5-of-6 from 3, six rebounds, four assists, two blocks in the Blue's 117-100 win over the Maine Celtics to clinch the 2024 G League championship.

Dieng IMO is ready to accept the challenge on the Thunder's reserves.

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City Thunder vs Philadelphia 76ers
Delta Center, Salt Lake City
TV - ESPN 6:00 p.m. CST

[PhiAlpha]

Ousmane Dieng was a major contributor in our Oklahoma City Blue winning the G-League championship. Dieng scored 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting, 5-of-6 from 3, six rebounds, four assists, two blocks in the Blue's 117-100 win over the Maine Celtics to clinch the 2024 G League championship.

Dieng IMO is ready to accept the challenge on the Thunder's reserves.

I mean I hope he is but based on what at the NBA level? lol

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City Thunder 92 vs Philadelphia 76er 102

[dankrutka]

Dieng is still only 21, but I just don’t see it for him. He plays timid and weak despite his physical skills. This is his third year playing the same way. Dare I say, he doesn’t have that dog in him?

[PhiAlpha]

Dieng is still only 21, but I just don’t see it for him. He plays timid and weak despite his physical skills. This is his third year playing the same way. Dare I say, he doesn’t have that dog in him?

Accurate: https://x.com/the_uncontested/status...dTcgVjJhYS-3KQ

[Dob Hooligan]

Dieng is still only 21, but I just don’t see it for him. He plays timid and weak despite his physical skills. This is his third year playing the same way. Dare I say, he doesn’t have that dog in him?

Golly, Dan, was your lot in life cast at age 21? Wasn’t Dieng the G League finals MVP a couple months ago? And I think he wasn’t “cut” from the Olympic team so much as the Thunder thought he would benefit more from playing in the Summer League. Can you tell me you have a better dog meter than Sam Presti?

[dankrutka]

I’m not wishing Dieng a bad life. I just don’t thimk he’s good enough at basketball to make it in the NBA after watching him play for over 2 years. I hope he improves. Then I wouldn’t have to watch him play like this! To your other points, no he was cut from France’s team. It was not a Dieng or Thunder decision. And, obviously, Presti misses on players all the time just like every GM.

Also, it’s all just my opinion on a message board on the internet. You’re welcome to counter it with reasons why you think he’ll be an effective player. That’s kind of why message boards exist.

[Rover]

I’m not wishing Dieng a bad life. I just don’t thimk he’s good enough at basketball to make it in the NBA after watching him play for over 2 years. I hope he improves. Then I wouldn’t have to watch him play like this! To your other points, no he was cut from France’s team. It was not a Dieng or Thunder decision. And, obviously, Presti misses on players all the time just like every GM.

Also, it’s all just my opinion on a message board on the internet. You’re welcome to counter it with reasons why you think he’ll be an effective player. That’s kind of why message boards exist.

He’s still very young. He is the youngest player on the Thunder summer league team by two years. He’s still very much a work in progress.