Playing on the first night of a back-to-back, the Oklahoma City Thunder elected to sit out most of their regulars in their 105-92 loss to the Houston Rockets on Tuesday.
Prior to tip, the Thunder ruled out Chet Holmgren, Ousmane Dieng, Tre Mann, Jaylin Williams, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Jared Butler. Although the assumption was that this meant all six players’ summer league were officially done, it was reported on the broadcast that isn’t necessarily the case. Only Mann — who suffered a finger fracture — was ruled out for the rest of the week.
Meanwhile, the Rockets followed a similar game plan as Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason were all ruled out. The latter two were officially shut down for the rest of the week.
So with several prominent players out, OKC’s two drafted rookies had the opportunity to play significant minutes. After they both made their debuts last game, Cason Wallace and Keyontae Johnson received more on their plates in their second contest.
Impressions were reversed this time out, as Wallace struggled with eight points on 2-of-12 shooting while Johnson dominated with 19 points in 22 minutes.
Overall, it was an ugly outing for the shorthanded Thunder — who shot 35-of-85 (41.2%) from the field and went an ice-cold 5-of-33 (15.2%) from 3. OKC’s offense got off to a hot start with 31 first-quarter points, but quickly sputtered for the rest of the game with 61 points scored in the final three quarters.
Meanwhile, the Rockets scored with ease. The absence of their three best summer league players was not noticeable, as they shot 37-of-70 (52.9%) from the field and went a hot 15-of-42 (35.7%) from 3. The Rockets led the entire way with a lead as large as 18 points.
The biggest name on the Rockets who suited up in this game was rookie Cam Whitmore, who dropped to No. 20 in the 2023 NBA draft after being mocked in the top four for most of the pre-draft process. He finished with 16 points on 6-of-14 shooting and eight rebounds in 34 minutes.
Other notable Rockets performers include Trevor Hudgins, who finished with 26 points on 10-of-20 shooting and went 5-of-15 from 3. Matthew Mayer also had 19 points on 6-of-11 shooting and 10 rebounds.
Outside of the two drafted rookies, two undrafted rookies stood out for OKC. KJ Williams finished with a double-double while Caleb McConnell did a little bit of everything. Both players are vying for the two available two-way spots and these performances are a step in the right direction.
From the five summer league games the Thunder have played so far, this was probably the least relevant of the bunch. The Thunder essentially elected to sit out all of their notable players sans Wallace with the Rockets doing the same.
Wednesday’s game against the Indiana Pacers will likely be the last noteworthy summer league game for the Thunder, as it could feature the return of all the notable players who sat out this game. After Wednesday though, don’t be surprised if OKC elects to sit them out for the final two summer league games.
Despite the Thunder’s 13-point loss, there were still some positives to take away from this game. Let’s look at Thunder player grades.
Cason Wallace: C-
Wallace was the only returning starter from the Thunder’s last game, which means he jumped up the offensive totem pole as he was surrounded by undrafted rookies and G League players.
Suddenly absorbing a larger role on offense compared to Saturday, where he was mostly a catch-and-shoot guy, Wallace struggled for most of the night. In 27 minutes, he scored eight points on 2-of-12 shooting that included going just 1-of-8 from 3. He also committed five turnovers.
Wallace was aggressive out of the gates as he shot 1-of-5 from 3 in the first seven minutes. After that though, he was relatively quiet the rest of the way.
Just an overall tough offensive night for someone playing in a new role and is probably not used to being the No. 1 scoring option near this level of talent.
Getting downhill quick and finishing through the contact pic.twitter.com/PNp6bD0tr0
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) July 11, 2023
Precision passing 🪡 pic.twitter.com/GHbisnIYMo
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) July 12, 2023
Keyontae Johnson: B+
While Wallace struggled, the Thunder’s other drafted rookie impressed. In 22 minutes off the bench, Keyontae Johnson finished with 19 points on 9-of-14 shooting and five rebounds. He scored 15 first-half points.
The two-way player did most of his damage inside of the paint, where he went 6-of-8. The undersized forward showed flashes of a potential drive-and-go game where he had some impressive finishes around the rim.
Getting through the paint and 🆙 pic.twitter.com/9p0wn3TYrs
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) July 11, 2023
KJ Williams: B+
Given the starting nod, KJ Williams had the most productive game for the Thunder.
In 26 minutes, he finished with 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting and 13 rebounds. This included seven offensive boards. He went 6-of-7 inside of the paint but also showed he has range with a 1-of-4 night from 3.
A solid outing for someone fighting for a roster spot and potentially a two-way deal. Williams signed with the Thunder after he went undrafted last month. He played five college seasons at Murray State and LSU.
Staying connected, staying ready 🤝 pic.twitter.com/2yLMAno0vD
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) July 11, 2023
Caleb McConnell: B
Given an opportunity to play significant minutes, undrafted rookie Caleb McConnell once again stuffed the stat sheet.
In 28 minutes off the bench, McConnell collected six points on 3-of-11 shooting, 10 rebounds and three assists. The 24-year-old signed with the Thunder in undrafted free agency after spending five college seasons at Rutgers.
Just like Williams, McConnell is also fighting for a two-way spot.
Working on both ends ⏭ pic.twitter.com/JZmiPv0mth
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) July 11, 2023
