After spending a few days in Montreal, the Thunder traveled to the Dirty South to take on the Charlotte Hornets without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, and the rest of the Thunder’s key players.
Although OKC played their bench players while Charlotte used their key players for three quarters, OKC stayed competitive before falling behind by double digits in the third quarter. Despite an impressive fourth-quarter comeback, the Thunder ultimately lost to Charlotte with a final score of 117-115.
Two things that stuck out to me that I was looking forward to seeing were the unknowns: Does Vasilije Micić really fit on the Thunder? And how does Tre Mann look?
The answer is absolutely. Currently, I’m not seeing Micić in the same light as SGA, Giddey, or Jalen Williams, but he’s the prototypical backup point guard the Thunder have been searching for.
Micić finished with 6 points, 8 assists, and 3 rebounds in 26 minutes, but struggled with his shooting, going 3-for-10. What stood out the most, however, were his impressive assists, and surprisingly, his defensive prowess caught my attention.
I never claimed, and I mean never, that Micić is or will ever be a great defensive player. While he’s still adjusting to the NBA’s pace, I don’t anticipate him becoming quick enough to be an elite defender against NBA guards. However, I do admire the effort he puts into his defense, and that definitely counts for something.
Tre Mann is the other unknown, not because we don’t know what he’s capable of, but because we haven’t seen it consistently for a full season.
Amidst the ongoing discussions about his future with the Thunder, it was reassuring to witness him appear comfortable while orchestrating and participating in the offense. He exuded confidence, tallying 18 points, grabbing 8 rebounds, and dishing out 5 assists.
In my honest opinion, Mann could thrive by fully embracing his combo-guard role on OKC’s bench unit, allowing Micić to assume the backup point guard role. Mann excels when he’s focused on scoring, while, in my brief observations, Micić shines when he’s distributing the ball.
