Giddey and Williams Shine in Thunder Win Over Memphis

Jalen Williams has wasted no time jumping into the Thunder's Summer League lineup quickly becoming the teams top scoring option.

Oklahoma City played its second Summer League game of the Utah portion of their summer circuit.

It was the second chance the NBA and Thunder fans had to see the recent draftees in action, and the trio of lottery selections did not disappoint.

The Thunder downed the Grizzlies 87-71 to move to 2-0 this summer on the heels of efficient outings from the young core.

Here are the best performers from the win.

Jalen Williams

Alonzo Adams / USA Today

Jalen Williams is putting on a show.

The show had its second stage performance Wednesday. It showcased Williams carrying his momentum over from his debut on Tuesday. After a 17 point outing in his Thunder debut the rookie from Santa Clara followed it with another efficient 16 point outing.

Williams was a dynamic scorer in his college days, and so far it has shown to carry over into his professional career. Williams shot 5-for-9 from the field and a perfect 3-for-3 from 3-point range.

On top of his scoring Williams also added three rebounds, two assists, and two steals. He also had just one turnover.

The rookie is making his case for playing time with two impressive Summer League outings to begin his Thunder career. 

Josh Giddey

Alonzo Adams / USA Today

It’s no surprise that Josh Giddey is tearing up the Summer League. He was a dominant rookie in his inaugural season with the Thunder last year. Without playing the latter half of the 2021-22 campaign with a hip ailment, Giddey has easily fit back into the game.

Giddey followed up a double-double performance Tuesday with a 14-point triple-double on Wednesday. Giddey finished with 10 rebounds and assists to pair with his point total. Giddey also had two steals.

Giddey has posted double-digit assists in both Summer League games showing his ability to facilitate the offense and be a leader of a young core. Giddey has his role with OKC locked in, but showing his ability and fine tuning his skills in the Summer League has helped the others around him ease into professional basketball. 

Eugene Omoruyi

David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Eugene Omoruyi is just trying to find a home.

Omoruyi played four games last season with the Mavericks, but didn’t have a large sample in those games playing less than five minutes per game. Omoruyi was the Thunder sixth man on Tuesday and his role with the Summer League squad stayed expanded Wednesday, where he posted a double-digit scoring tally.

Omoruyi is unlikely to be playing to earn a spot on the OKC roster when the season comes, but he’s looking for a team around the league to take a chance on him, he could also find a home in the G League awaiting a call-up.

Omoruyi scored 10 points for the Thunder Wednesday and he did so on 4-of-9 shooting. He also added one rebound. He didn’t light up the stat sheet but his efficient 10 points off of the bench. 

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