Las Vegas- Oklahoma City Thunder After 2-1 in Salt Lake City at the beginning of the week, he took part in the Las Vegas Summer League showcase with two wins. The second pick of the draft, Chet HolmgrenPerformed a show at his NBA debut, Post 23 points, 7 rebounds, 6 blocks, 4 assists To win Utah Jazz..
In the next match, it was rookie (and 12th overall) Jalen Williams who scored 16 points, 3 rebounds and 2 steals in 22 minutes.His second year point guard in the last match before heading to Las Vegas Josh Giddey I had one of the best dunks of the summer so far when I crossed my opponent in a pick and roll setup and put Mariquerson on the poster.
All this is very promising for young teams who have won only a total of 46 games in the last two seasons. Holmgren was a valuable pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, but don’t overlook the other players they chose — No. 11 Pick Ousmane Dieng (6ft-10, 7ft Wingspan), No. 12 Pick Williams (6-6, 7-2 wing spans), and No. 34 choose Jaylin Williams (6-10, 7-1 wing spans). All four are long and athletic playmakers who can slide between multiple positions.
“This may not be the year, as this group has to figure out how to play together, but Thunder will be one of the best defensive teams in the league,” an NBA scout told Yahoo Sports. .. “Everyone was distracted by the falls of the other guys, but Sam Presti drafted a group of players over 6 feet 6 and was able to pass and exert a lot of athleticism with Guidi. To, [Shai] Gilgeous-with Alexander [Lu] Doruto? It’s ridiculous. “
Wiggins, a 6-8 point guard from Australia, was the first piece of the 2021 draft puzzle when Thunder took him on the sixth overall pick (they were also guard Tre Mann, Aaron Wiggins, forward Jeremiah Robinson-Added Earl). This past season, Guidi missed in February due to a hip injury after being named Rookie of the Month at the Western Conference for three consecutive months.
Guidi returned to the Utah Summer League court for the first time in four months and looked comfortable with his new teammates. Holmgren consistently found the right place from pick and pop, and found that Guidy was making rhythms for others when he entered the lane or advanced the ball in a transition. rice field. Last season, Guidi averaged 6.4 assists per game in just over 50 games. During the three games in Utah, Guidy issued a 28-cent coin and fans were impressed with his clever work in Lane.
“It was a good feeling to go back to the court and play with these new guys on the team,” Guidi said after his first match. “This was the first game we played together and we found a small one. The more you play, the more it grows and grows. What we now understand in this short time is , It’s just a bonus. “
The NBA staff, who were in tune with the first few games, were impressed by how Giddey, still 19 years old, commanded this young team as Thunder’s floor general.
“The way Guidi holds the ball in his hand and directs so many spaces frees everyone else on the court,” another NBA scout told Yahoo Sports. “For these Summer League teams, it will be difficult to stop the ball moving with these guys who can see how defense and Guidi get into the paint.”
In the first three games in Salt Lake City, the most striking was the defensive impact, not the incredible pass or flashy finish on the rim. Thunder shot the gap, turned it all on, put Holmgren and 7ft 1 Alexei Poxevsky in the paint, causing havoc while blocking shots everywhere.
“I’m very excited. This is a special group and I’m looking forward to what we can build,” Guidi said. “I can’t wait for the training camp as I prepare for the season.”
Adding veteran players to this group during the training camp gives an early glimpse of the variety of defenses by Doruto as one of the best young defenders in the league and the healthy Gildias Alexander on the back court with Guidi. I can do it.
Thunder still has 38 draft topics (19 in the first round, 19 in seconds) over the next seven years, but this has never been done by other teams. As general manager Sam Presti continues to create something special from scratch, there is plenty of freedom and choice.
Oklahoma City will be back next season as there are so many future draft topics French Phenom Victor Wembanyama When G League Ignite Point Guard Scoot Henderson Waiting on the wings 2023 NBA Draft..
“I just want to be better than last year,” Guidi said. “I think we’ll be better as long as we continue to improve and get better, whether in the playoffs or not. We have a group of really hard-working guys, where I can’t wait to see. Everyone is about to start the season. “
Many teams are already moving a year later to put the franchise in a favorable position for next year’s draft.
Jazz exchanged Rudy Gobert for Royce O’Neal, winning five first round picks and pick swaps in the process. The San Antonio Spurs have drafted young, skilled players who have three first-round picks and have the potential to infiltrate and grow in the G League. When talking to scouts around the Las Vegas league, many believe that the Spurs will put themselves in tanks next season for the top five picks. The Indiana Pacers and the Houston Rockets are the other two teams that are still in the process of rebuilding.
It leaves Thunder. In all the draft topics they have (including the first pick and the second pick next year), Thunder is for another key player to add to this young and talented team. You don’t necessarily have to use a tank. Only one team will land Wembanyama, a potential customer who has been advertised as a potential generational talent. There is only one. It may not be worth the effort to sit down and disrupt the growth and chemistry that this current group may be building.
The day after Holmgren was drafted, he immediately called Guidi and wanted to go to the gym as soon as he landed in Oklahoma City. The two trained and ended up in a one-on-one game.
“He immediately attacked me and wanted to go to the gym when he entered the town. From that point on, I thought we would have a special talent,” Guidi told Yahoo Sports. rice field. “We started playing one-on-one. He thought the guys would be a handful to protect him. He may look thin, but He’s strong and strong with the ball in his hand. Guards and big, guards have their advantages, but he can sit and defend, and yeah, he’s the first one-on-one. I won the game.
“I can’t wait to keep playing with him. We are team first players and want to win. What we are building here will be special.”
The front office has done things to confuse the development of this dangerous young team as Gidi has already opened up space on the Summer League floor and is finding someone from Holmgren, Poxevsky, Williams, or Pick and Pop. I can’t imagine shutting it down. Thunder quietly drafted the future of the franchise under everyone’s nose, and it’s only a matter of time before everything starts to come together in court.
