Tre Mann Shines in First OKC Blue Game
On Wednesday night, most Oklahoma City fans were likely watching the Thunder take down the Portland Trail Blazers for the second time in three nights. At the same time, however, Mann was leading the OKC Blue to a dominant victory over the Lakeland Magic in Las Vegas at the G League Showcase.
The second-year guard knocked down seven triples in 31 minutes en route to a 35-point performance that saw the Florida product shoot 12-for-20 from the field. In addition to tying his career-high in points, Mann also snatched four rebounds and dished out three assists.
For Orlando's G League affiliate, former Thunder and Blue point guard Zavier Simpson, or "Captain Hook" as he was nicknamed for his unconventional hook shot, led the way with 25 points, seven steals and five assists.
Mann was sent to the G League for the first time this season after struggling to find offensive consistency, believing that a stint with the Blue would elevate the Gainesville native's confidence. It seems as though this strategy has worked one game in, as Mann was able to get more shots off than he would've with the Thunder.
His 20 shot attempts on Wednesday night marks Mann's second-highest total all season and the most since Mann went 10-of-24 in October against the Clippers. The young ball-handler scored a season-high 25 points in the contest.
In seven games with the Blue last season, Mann averaged 15 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game compared to 10.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game in 60 NBA appearances as a rookie. This year, the crafty scorer had fallen to averages of 8.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per game with the Thunder.
With Mann struggling, sharpshooter Isaiah Joe has stepped in and absorbed his minutes, filling the gap perfectly for Oklahoma City. The former Clipper has reached double figures four times in the past two weeks, most notably dropping 23 points in a victory over the red-hot Memphis Grizzlies.
In Wednesday evening's matchup against the Blazers, two-way wing Lindy Waters III saw time with the Thunder, seemingly replacing some of the minutes that had belonged to Mann while the two swapped places.
If Mann can continue to perform like he did in his first G League game of the season, the 2021 first-round pick will quickly be called back up by the Thunder.
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