Throwing a one-handed inbound pass that reached halfcourt, Dillon Jones racked up the easy assist to Ousmane Dieng who swished in the pull-up 3-pointer in the final seconds of the first quarter.
The Jones-to-Dieng connection highlighted the two most important players for OKC in this year’s summer event.
The Oklahoma City Thunder lost to the Philadelphia 76ers, 102-92. This marked the first of seven-plus summer league games for the former. This was also the first of three straight contests at Salt Lake City before Las Vegas.
“Summer league is a great platform for us to get better,” Utah SL coach Kam Woods said. “It’s an eight-game stretch. We have a good balance on our team between rookies and returning players. For everybody on the team, it’s about stacking good days.”
The Thunder had a hot start with a 10-2 lead in the opening three minutes. It was a strong lead by OKC that was quickly melted by Philly. The Sixers crawled back to make it a 26 points apiece contest at the end of the first quarter.
A 9-2 run by the Sixers gave them a 35-28 advantage a little over three minutes into the second frame. Kevin Aluma grew Philly’s lead to 52-43 with less than three minutes to go off a reverse layup. A 32-point period by the Sixers saw them enter halftime with a 58-51 lead.
The Thunder failed to make up ground out of halftime as both squads were deadlocked at 18 apiece in the third quarter. OKC entered the final frame in a 76-69 hole. The offense struggled as outside looks didn’t fall.
The fourth quarter was drama-less by both sides. The Thunder cut it to as close as a five-point deficit thanks to an outside shot by Buddy Boeheim, but the Sixers quickly ballooned their lead to double-digit figures and led by as many as 19 points.
It was a flat summer league opener for the Thunder. They relied heavily on outside shots that didn’t fall for them. They shot 39% from the field and went 15-of-46 (32.6%) from 3. They had 23 assists on 33 baskets but committed 18 turnovers. The ball movement was active but a lack of finishes stalled OKC’s offense.
Adam Flagler led the way with 18 points and shot 6-of-14 from 3. Jones collected a near triple-double in his debut. Dieng had a lackluster performance with 10 points on 14 shots. Ajay Mitchell had moments with 14 points.
“I just think I belong in this environment,” Jones said on his SL debut. “I didn’t even play perfect today. I don’t know how many in-and-out shots I had or whatever but there is more to come.”
Meanwhile, the Sixers dominated most of the contest sans the opening minutes. Once they grabbed the lead in the second quarter, they didn’t relinquish it. They shot 49% from the field and went 9-of-29 (31%) from 3. Four Philly players scored double-digit points.
Ricky Council IV took over the contest with 29 points on 9-of-18 shooting and eight rebounds. He shot 5-of-10 from 3 and went 6-of-7 from the free-throw line. He scored 19 points in the fourth quarter and all five of his outside shots happened in this frame.
A pair of Sixers rookies had quality debuts. McCain finished with 15 points and six rebounds; Adem Bona had seven points and seven rebounds. Other contributors included Aluma with 12 points and Jeff Dowtin Jr. with 15 points and four assists.
There were moments but they came few and far between for the Thunder. The results of these contests are inconsequential but how they play matters. Jones had the strongest outing for OKC. Dieng’s slow start is discouraging but he will get a chance to get over it quickly. As mentioned, this is the first of three straight games for the Thunder in Utah.
Let’s look at Thunder player grades.
Dillon Jones: B
(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
Outside of Dieng, Jones had the most on-ball reps for the Thunder. The funky forward was given playmaking duties when he was on the floor. This resulted in a near triple-double in his first contest suited up for OKC.
In 32 minutes, Jones finished with nine points on 4-of-11 shooting, 10 rebounds and seven assists. He shot 1-of-5 from 3 and had five turnovers.
He played the most minutes for the Thunder. Expect that trend to continue for the rest of the summer. He’s OKC’s most-prized available rookie for next season as Nikola Topic rehabs from a partially torn ACL.
The passing was on point for Jones as he set up plenty of quality looks for his teammates. He wasn’t afraid to let the ball rip in his hands and through dangerous passes. This is the perfect environment to see how the 22-year-old looks as a point forward.
His lone outside shot caught eyeballs on an off-dribble left-wing 3-pointer after a screen. He fought for boards despite being undersized. Everything that was scouted about Jones was on full display.
“The game is simple, I try not to make it as complicated as possible,” Jones said on his playmaking. “If you’re open, shoot the ball. If you’re not — if you got an advantage, drive it; if you don’t, if you got two in the ball, move it.”
Ousmane Dieng: C-minus
(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
The same problems that existed for Dieng in his first two seasons remained through one summer league contest this year. He played with a bit of passiveness that’s hindered him throughout his career. This was not the blazing start most hoped for the 21-year-old in his third SL trip.
In 31 minutes, Dieng had 10 points on 3-of-14 shooting, six rebounds and five assists. He shot 1-of-4 from 3.
Dieng was viewed as a multi-year project when the Thunder added him in 2022. His first two years being forgettable was understandable. The plan was for the 21-year-old to develop in the background and that’s what he did last season in the G League.
But one summer league game in, Dieng looks about the same as he did his first two seasons. He faded into the background and looked hesitant with the ball. Not an encouraging sign at all for someone in the middle of his most important offseason. He has at least six more games to turn that around.
“Ous is a young guy who’s had some experience behind him,” Woods said about Dieng. “He’s obviously put together a good summer. He had a good end of the season. The goal for him is the same as everybody else. Which is come out here and compete.”
Adam Flagler: A
After spending last offseason recovering from meniscus surgery, Flagler sparked in his summer league debut for the Thunder. The 24-year-old was lights out from deep for OKC and was its top scorer.
Flagler tallied 18 points on 6-of-15 shooting, four rebounds and three assists in 24 minutes. He shot 6-of-14 from 3. He was responsible for six of OKC’s 15 made shots from deep.
The range is rich for Flagler. He made a few deep 3-pointers that showed off his gravity. It was one of the more superb features of an otherwise dull day of offensive production from the Thunder.
The outside shot must translate at the NBA level for Flagler to stick. It’s his bread and butter that’s helped him at both the college and G League level. Through one summer league contest, he’s shown to be a legitimate threat from the outside.
Ajay Mitchell: B
Stripping the ball away from RJ Hampton, Mitchell initiated the fastbreak and passed it to his left to Dieng, who drew the shooting foul on a drive to the basket. The defense-to-offense sequence spotlighted an awesome summer league debut for the two-way player.
Mitchell collected 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting, four assists and three rebounds in 28 minutes. He shot 2-of-4 from 3. He also had three steals and two blocks.
The 22-year-old attacked the paint and finished around the basket. He made a pair of corner looks. He looked solid in his on-ball reps. He drew the start and took advantage of the facilitator role. Expect a similar role in the G League next season as he likely spends most of his rookie campaign there.
“I think they mix up zone, man,” Mitchell said on his performance. “Being able to read that and find the open man was really key for me… We have a lot of ball-handlers, a lot of guys that can play on and off the ball. For me, it was good for me to be off the ball and be able to make those reads and play off the ball. It helped me a lot throughout this game.”
