The Oklahoma City Thunder's 2023 season kicks off on Monday evening when the team meets the San Antonio Spurs in the team's preseason debut.
While preseason basketball may not matter to OKC's eventual season record, the games are still important for a handful of players on the roster, as the Thunder still have cuts to make prior to opening night.
After two seasons with the team, former second-round pick Jeremiah Robinson-Earl is looking to return to his rookie form after a lackluster sophomore season that saw the 6-foot-8 forward deal with multiple injuries.
In 2023, Robinson-Earl averaged 6.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and one assist in almost 19 minutes per game. With the additions of Chet Holmgren and Davis Bertans, Robinson-Earl will have to fight for a spot on the roster, as the Thunder now have a handful of big men who will be competing for minutes off the bench.
If Robinson-Earl is able to have a good preseason showing, he would likely stick around in the Modern Frontier, at least for the rest of the 2023-24 season.
Another fringe roster player who needs to impress the Thunder in his preseason minutes is former two-way forward Jack White. White played with Josh Giddey and Team Australia this summer, but played sparingly and didn't see any extended action for the Boomers.
After an impressive G League season with the Grand Rapids Gold, White is looking to earn a full roster spot in OKC. If the former Duke Blue Devil is able to show that he has settled nicely into his role and can contribute on both sides of the court, he will have a much better chance at not being waived ahead of the regular season.
Today's preseason game against the Spurs is also important for third-year guard Tre Mann. Similar to Robinson-Earl, Mann had a solid rookie season but did not find the same success during his second year in the league.
After putting up 10.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game in 2021-22, Mann dipped to less than eight points per game in 2022-23. This was in part due to the emergence of Isaiah Joe, who was one of the best 3-point shooters in the league for stretches of last season.
By adding Cason Wallace and Vasilije Micic over the offseason, the Thunder's backcourt is even deeper than it was before, meaning that players like Mann will have to fight to earn minutes and showcase their skill set.
While Mann's spot on the roster is likely more secure than Robinson-Earl or White, the Thunder's preseason matchup with the Spurs is still extremely important for the former first-round pick.
With Aleksej Pokusevski, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Micic all sidelined for Monday's contest against the Spurs, the aforementioned players should get their chance to shine.
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