Three Takeaways from the OKC Thunder's Second Salt Lake City Summer League Contest

Oklahoma City took the court again on Tuesday night after dropping its first matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Ousmane Dieng (13) / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

After a loss on Monday night to the Philadelphia 76ers, the Oklahoma City Thunder bounced back on Tuesday night, taking down the Utah Jazz 98-75.

Once again led by an encouraging mix of young veterans and rookies, multiple OKC players impressed on Tuesday night. Additionally, the Thunder were able to play more of their roster, giving observers and the coaching staff a better idea of the team's talent.

While organizations don't measure success with Summer League wins, seeing the group's young talent perform well and show flashes of potential should be encouraging to Oklahoma City fans.

Here are three takeaways from the Thunder's Tuesday night victory.

DJ takes command

Tuesday night's matchup between OKC and Utah was all about rookie first round pick Dillon Jones.

Just 40 miles from where he played college basketball, the former Weber State star racked up 21 points, seven rebounds, four assists and one steal while shooting 7-of-8 from the field and 3-for-3 from beyond the arc.

Brice Sensabaugh starts clapping when matched up with Dillon Jones…

Jones proceeds to hit the deep 3 & let’s him know. pic.twitter.com/zk0vn2G8fC

— Thunder Film Room (@ThunderFilmRoom) July 10, 2024

Jones' scoring efficiency makes him a good fit in Mark Daigneault's system, especially coupled with his passing and rebounding ability.

Coming out of college, Jones' 3-point shot was one of scouts' biggest concerns surrounding the talented guard. While one Summer League game certainly doesn't mean the Columbia, SC, product's shot is fixed, it does illustrate that Jones has the confidence and potential to become a solid shooter.

After being picked No. 26 overall by the Thunder in last month's NBA Draft, Jones has already showed why Sam Presti and company valued the unique guard higher than most talent evaluators. If Jones continues to perform well, he has the chance to earn a spot at the end of Oklahoma City rotation quicker than many expected.

Ous bounces back

After a shaky start to the Summer League that saw third-year wing Ousmane Dieng shoot 3-for-14 from the field, the 21-year-old had a solid outing on Tuesday night.

Dieng finished with 20 points, five rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block while shooting 8-of-18 from the field and 4-of-6 from 3-point range.

Listed at 6-foot-10, Dieng's passing ability is impressive and very unique for a player of his size. The French wing has lacked aggression and struggled shooting the ball in his young career, but knocked down shots from the perimeter at a good clip on Tuesday.

If Dieng can continue to play with more force and hit 3-pointers consistently, he will almost certainly earn a spot in OKC's rotation. Heading into his third year in the NBA, there is no doubt the 2024 G League Finals MVP has the potential to be a solid contributor, but Dieng still needs to take the next step in his development this offseason.

Mitchell shines again

After an impressive outing in his first Summer League contest, rookie second round pick Ajay Mitchell looked good again on Tuesday evening.

The UC Santa Barbara product notched 11 points, 10 assists, two rebounds and one steal while shooting 5-of-9 from the field. While Mitchell didn't find the same perimeter shooting success against the Jazz, he looked good as a distributor and floor general, taking command of the game.

Despite playing in his first NBA competitions, Mitchell has not seem to let the moment phase him and has showed good poise.

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