This is the Oklahoma City Thunder season outlook/potential player grades part two. This article will include four more random players from the OKC roster this season. Who will they be and how will their seasons turn out? Here it is: Oklahoma City Thunder season outlook/potential player grades part two.
This one is very difficult to answer. When healthy, the guy is a star that shines bright. However, it was announced just two days ago that Alexander suffered a grade two MCL sprain. With this in mind, he would more than likely be missing training camp and some of the beginning of the season. With Holmgren already out of commission, this team is going to be tanking extra hard come October. It’s likely that the Thunder are going to take their sweet time with him. Don’t be surprised when Alexander exceeds his initial recovery timeline. This past season, he put up averages of 24.5 points, five boards, 5.9 dimes, 1.3 steals, one block, and 2.8 turnovers a game on 45% from the field, 30% from three, and 81% from the line in just 56 games.
Mann is going to have much more opportunities come October 19. As soon as the news broke out that Alexander suffered an injury, Mann stocks skyrocketed. He will more than likely slide into the starting lineup which will give fans a bigger glimpse of what his potential looks like. Last season, put up averages of 10.4 points, 2.9 boards, 1.5 dimes, 0.8 steals, 0.2 blocks, and 1.2 turnovers a game on 39% from the field, 36% from the three-point line and 79% from the line. Mann really needs to work on his playmaking and efficiency. If he can fix these two things, he is looking like a really fun player for this team. Silly season is starting early for the boys in blue and orange.
Dort is one of the vets on the team and it’s surprising that he’s only 23 years old. He’s also already one of the best defensive wings in the business. Last season, he put up averages of 17.2 points, 4.2 boards, 1.7 dimes, 0.9 steals, 0.4 blocks, and 1.7 turnovers a game on 40% from the field, 33% from three and 84% from the line. There are no injuries to report on Dort at this moment which is great news. Since he’s healthy, Dort is going to be in line for a ton of looks at the beginning of this season because of no Alexander and Holmgren.
Dieng is on a rebuilding team, and he was also selected in the lottery of this year’s NBA draft. With these two factors, Dieng will certainly be looking at minutes this year. In this year’s Summer League, Dieng put in averages of 8.8 points, 4.8 boards, 1.2 dimes, 0.6 steals, 0.2 blocks, and 1.6 turnovers a game on 34% from the field, 20% from three and 56% from the line. The averages are not ideal, but he is a 19-year-old rookie after all. He needs to work on a ton of things because of how raw his game is. Throughout the season, the Thunder are going to give him a ton of opportunities. Hopefully he can get something going his rookie season.
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