Thunder Rookie Tre Mann Could Be NBA’s Next Microwave Bench Scorer

After being taken by the Thunder with the No. 18 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Tre Mann will take his explosive scoring to the next level.

In terms of scoring the ball, Thunder rookie Tre Mann was one of the best in his entire draft class. This is one of the main reasons he was taken in the first round at No. 18 overall by Oklahoma City.

A versatile guard, Mann possesses the ability to play on or off the ball, even though he primarily ran the point during his two seasons at Florida.

“I feel very comfortable playing both,” said Mann in an introductory press conference. “In college, I played a lot more on ball. I just feel like I'm versatile so I can have the ball in my hand, make plays with it my hand and off the ball as well so I just felt like I'm versatile enough to play on both sides, whether on or off the ball.”

This type of versatility is exactly what the Thunder like in their young players, as lineups and what they’re able to do are more flexible.

With perhaps the most range of any of his peers in the 2021 NBA Draft, Mann converted on 40.2 percent of his 4.7 attempts from three last season. At the next level, with the 3-point line being moved back, he shouldn’t have any problem adjusting.

Additionally, Mann’s go-to move is the step-back, whether that’s in the midrange or from beyond the arc. In fact, that move was ultimately one that capped off a win for the Gators in the recent NCAA tournament.

Clutch step-back from Florida's Tre Mann.

First “Onions!” of the tournament 🗣 pic.twitter.com/uftd6sG5bd

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 19, 2021

As the best player on Florida’s roster as just a sophomore, Mann scored 16.0 points per contest while also pulling down 5.6 rebounds and dishing out 3.5 assists per game.

At 6-foot-5, he has the ability to do a little bit of everything at either guard position.

When it comes to rookies who have the highest upside in terms of scoring, Mann is near the top of the list. Especially on a young Thunder team where he’ll have every opportunity to get shot attempts, don’t be surprised if he ends up being one of the highest scoring players in his class next season. 

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